Harry Potter and the Celestial Guidance
by FlyingPixie
Summary: AU due to HBP. Harry must undergo intensive training to harness his new powers. Will Harry be able to stop Voldemort before it's too late, or will the world plunge into a darkness never before seen? Pairings HG and RHr. This story is on hiatus.
1. What the Fates Decide

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling (save for my impersonations of Fate). If I were her I would not be here writing on this site, I would be hurrying up and writing the next book!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

* * *

What the Fates Decide

_"The threads which the Fates spin are so unchangeable, that, even if they decreed to someone a kingdom which at the moment belonged to another, and even if that other slew the man of destiny, to save himself from ever being deprived by him of his throne, nevertheless the dead man would come to life again in order to fulfil the decree of the Fates ... He who is destined to become a carpenter, will become one even if his hands have been cut off: and he who has been destined to carry off the prize for running in the Olympic games, will not fail to win even if he broke his leg: and a man to whom the Fates have decreed that he shall be an eminent archer, will not miss the mark, even though he lost his eyesight."_

- Flavius Philostratus, _Life of Apollonius of Tyana_ 8.7

* * *

Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos sat together in a large, domed hall. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows placed evenly around the majestic room. An immense tapestry hung before them, and it was that, at the moment, that held their attention. Clotho, the youngest, held a thin thread in her hands. She nervously flipped it over and over, and every few minutes would look down as if to assure herself that it was still there.

The three sisters, normally calm and collected, were worried. There was no doubting this. The tapestry and the thread appeared to be the cause of this anxiety. Finally, after an interminable amount of time, Clotho spoke.

"Lachesis, do you think you can repair the damage? Can you weave the rest of the thread back in without damaging anything?" she asked, hoping for the best. The woman in question paused before answering.

"I think so. But if he continues on with his destruction, it won't do much good," the middle sibling answered her. She stood up and began to pace the room, deep in thought. "We should not have allowed it to escalate to this point. We should have realized the danger sooner. We could have stopped him, if we had just looked deeper into the Pattern."

Atropos stood up and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, guiding her back to the couch.

"There is no point in worrying about the past. What's done is done. We must repair the damage and stop him before it is too late. Before the damage is irreversible. Before Tom becomes unstoppable." The eldest sister let her words hang in the air. They each knew what was at stake. They had to get to work.

"You're right, as always." Lachesis took the thread from Clotho and examined it. She nodded to herself, seeing something in it that no other eye could see. She walked up to the tapestry and, with quick precision, she began to weave the thread into the tapestry with her hands. A dim, red light began to glow around her hands as she continued to interlace the thread. In, out, in, out. The light grew stronger as she continued, until it vanished as abruptly as it had come.

She let out a breath and slowly stepped away from the wall. It was flawless. She smiled, and behind her, she felt her sisters smile too. The hard part was done...

* * *

Harry placed his trunk into the trunk of the Dursley's car before climbing into the car with Hedwig. He knew this bothered his Uncle Vernon, whose faceturned an amazing shade of purple, but he felt that his owl should not have to suffer in the trunk like previous years. There was nothing his uncle could do about it. Apparently the beefy man realized this as well, and stayed quiet about it, though it was obvious that he was internally seething with rage.

Harry leaned back in his seat as his uncle pulled out of the train station's parking lot and drove away. He took off his glasses and looked out the window. Putting his forehead to the window, he let the scenes outside blur together in a kaleidoscope of colors. At times, he liked it better this way. Not having to focus on anything in particular. Letting life blend everything together so he didn't have to think; simply look out and enjoy the view.

He could hear the Dursley's talking quietly in the front about mundane things, steering all conversation far from anything 'freakish'. He, of course, had no wish to partake in the conversation whatsoever. Harry was simply happy that they weren't yelling at him like they usually did. They seemed to be ignoring him completely, as if that would make their problems go away.

The Dursley's knew that if they put one foot out of line, their nephew would write to 'the freaks'. Fear of having such horrid people anywhere near their house seemed to keep them at bay, for now at least. Harry knew, however, that this would not be the case. As of last year, witches and wizards would be constantly patrolling Privet Drive for any sign of danger. _What they don't know can't hurt them_, he thought bitterly to himself, and went back to staring out the window.

Harry kept his mind blissfully blank. _Wouldn't Snape be proud?_ But Harry didn't do it for him. He did not want to think about what happened last year. He did not want to think about what was to come. He did not want to think at all...

Finally, his uncle pulled the car into the driveway. Harry was the first out of the car. He grabbed his glasses and put them on. He then took his trunk and owl cage and began walking towards the door. He waited 'patiently' while his beefy uncle trudged up and unlocked the door.

Harry carried his trunk up to his 'room', if one would call it that. The room in question had no personal possessions whatsoever. He sighed: he was 'home' again.

He lay down on his bed, sighing once more.It would be, without doubt, the longest summer yet. Unwillingly, his thoughts went back to the previous spring. Sirius smiling as he dueled, before falling through the veil. At school, the days had passed by in a daze. The death of his godfather had not yet sunk in. But here, all alone in his room, the truth lay before him. Harry felt a tear trailing down his cheek and quickly rubbed it away.

_Sirius was gone._

_Sirius was gone, and it was all his fault._

_If only he had listened to Hermione._

_If only he had practiced Occulmency more._

_If only he didn't have a 'saving people thing'._

_If only he had used the mirror to check up on Sirius._

_If only he hadn't listened to Kreacher._

The "if only's" piled up in his head. As much as he blamed himself, however, it wouldn't bring Sirius back. He felt like the void inside of him that Sirius used to fill was empty again. He had just lost his godfather, the one person he thought would always be there for him, and with whom he could live after his name was cleared. A person he could trust with his problems and would lend a helping hand and good advice from time to time.

Harry sighed and tried to calm himself. He knew it would take time for him to get better, but time did not heal all wounds. Time could make them smaller and almost insignificant, but the memories would still be there, and Harry would **always** miss Sirius.

He sighed, and got up, walking over to the windowsill. He sat down and looked out. The sun was just beginning to set. Orange, yellow and red hues were splashed across the sky in an entrancing and mystic way. Harry had always believed that nature was a bounty of magic.

The world was at peace, for now. But he knew that the peace would not last long. Now that the wizarding world was aware of Voldemort's return, there would be attacks. Countless attacks. Who could stop the maniac? One person. Him.

The scene in Dumbledore's office played in his head again. He recited the memorized prophecy, which only he and Dumbledore knew, in his head:

'_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ...' _

_He_ had to be the one to defeat Voldemort. Just out of his fifth year. A boy, one who had trouble defeating a bunch of Death Eaters, was to be the one to defeat Voldemort. How ironic Fate could be. It was impossible, and yet it had to be done.

Harry had always thought that Dumbledore would be the one to put a stop to Voldemort once and for all. Harry's power nowhere _near_ rivaled Dumbledore's. How was he supposed to defeat Voldemort?

He had no idea what power he was supposed to have, and hoped it would manifest itself as soon as possible. Harry thought he should begin training, do anything really, but had no idea what exactly to do. It was a heavy burden to bear, and he was determined to do his best.

Harry figured that the best he could do at the moment was to spend time studying the textbooks he already had, First year through to Fifth. Nothing like having a death-threat over your head to make you start working, Harry thought bitterly to himself.

He decided to spend more time on subjects he valued to be the most helpful: Defense Against the Dark Arts (of course), Transfiguration, Charms, and even Potions (he hoped that after reading through them several times he would have a better understanding of the subject). He smirked as he thought of what Snape would say if he ever saw him _actually_ reading a Potions' text voluntarily!

Harry just couldn't see how Divination or Astronomy could help him in any way, and would simply skim over those books. History of Magic was also pointless, though Harry wished he could learn more about the First War, as well as Grindlewald's defeat. He figured, however, that he had enough on his plate as it was and would focus on that later on in the summer.

He wasn't sure where he would find the information, and wasn't quite ready to ask for Dumbledore's help yet, so he concentrated more on the subjects and books available. He would deal his problems when he reached them.

Harry would lightly read over his Care of Magical Creatures textbooks, and would spend the most amount of time studying _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ and _The Monster Book of Monsters. _Harry's view was that Voldemort's army would probably have more Chimaeras, Trolls and Manticores than Flobberworms and Fairies!

_No time like the present to start_, he thought to himself. Harry desperately hoped it would take his mind off of his godfather. He took out his First year Transfiguration textbook and began to read...

* * *

Sirius opened his eyes and sat up slowly. He looked around. He seemed to be in a room of the purest white. Saying he was confused was an understatement. Hadn't he just been at Grimmauld Place?

Memories suddenly flashed before his eyes. Remus telling him that Harry had gone off to the Department of Mysteries to look for him. Members of the Order of the Phoenix, himself included, apparating there, hoping they weren't too late. Sirius saw himself battling various Death Eaters, trying to make his way to Harry. Finally, he saw the duel between himself and Lestrange. Saw himself fall through the ancient doorway and behind the veil.

_I failed Harry. I was his godfather. I need to be there when he grows older. I should have focused more on what I was doing. I shouldn't have treated it like a game_. Sirius couldn't stop blaming himself. _At least he still has Remus._ With this last thought, he stood up and began to pace around the room, if one could call it that. Sirius couldn't see anything other than the white. There were no walls at all, almost as if it went on forever.

Having nothing else to do, he began walking in one direction, hoping to see someone or something. Anything other than the whiteness (which had begun to grate on his nerves). Was he dead? He had no idea, but realized that it was very probable. He hoped he would be able to see James and Lily again. He continued walking.

He wasn't sure how long he had walked for, because all sense of time was gone for him, before three women appeared suddenly before him. One was young, around her mid-twenties, with as much beauty and splendor as one could put in a face. Despite her youth however, her eyes held wisdom beyond her years. Her long, flowing blond hair hung loosely at her sides. She was dressed elegantly in a sweeping gown of light blue hues.

Beside her stood a taller woman in her mid-fifties, Sirius guessed. She looked as if she had seen better days, and her face hinted at incredible beauty during her youth. She wore an elegant, red dress, and her brown hair was held in a long braid.

Beside the brunette stood the last of the three. The woman had graying hair, held up in a tight bun. She wore a simple dress, this time in lavender. Her body looked frail, but her demeanor showed that she was anything but.

The three women radiated power and strength. _Who are these women?_ Sirius asked himself. As if she had the power to read minds (which Sirius didn't doubt in the least), the eldest answered his question. "My name is Atropos. These are my sisters Lachesis and Clotho. We are the Moerae. We are Fate. We are here to bring you home."

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One chapter down! Hope you enjoyed it!

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	2. The Guidance Council

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling (save for my impersonations of Fate and my OC's). If I were her I would not be here writing on this site, I would be hurrying up and writing the next book!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

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The Guidance Council

_Don't be fooled by the calendar: there are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week's value out of a year while another man gets a full year's value out of a week._

- Charles Richards

* * *

Harry closed his Transfiguration book with a resounding slam. He had managed to finish three-quarters of the book, but after reading the same sentence twenty times he decided to call it a night. He yawned drowsily, and looked out the window. A half-moon was shining brightly at him through his window.

A quick glance at the clock on Harry's bedside table told him it was almost eleven. He did a double take, not believing that he had actually been reading for that long. His stomach began to grumble hungrily, and with a start he realized that he had missed supper!

Harry opened the door and walked quietly down the stairs, avoiding the creaky bottom stair. He made his way into the kitchen and made himself a _light_ snack, consisting of two peanut butter and jam sandwiches, one apple and two large glasses of milk.

Once full, he made his way up the flight of stairs, across the landing and into his room. He didn't have the energy to rummage through his trunk, and simply fell asleep in what he was wearing. Too tired to clear his mind, his last conscious thought before going to sleep was a silent prayer to whatever deity that listened that he wouldn't have any nightmares...

* * *

"You're Fate?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Yes we are," answered Lachesis. "We are here to bring you home," she stated, repeating her sister's words.

Sirius nodded dumbly, trying to process the information. Realizing that he had no choice but to trust them, he nodded once more, this time in understanding. He would give them anything they wanted if they could bring him back to Harry...

"So I'm not dead yet?"

"We have realized that Voldemort has been meddling in things that he should not have been allowed to have access to. This is why you are not quite dead, yet" Lachesis pointed around the white room they occupied. "You are in the Medius Plane, Between the World of the Living and the World of the Dead. We have to bring you back to the Mortal Plane before it is no longer in our power to do so. For young Harry's sake we must..."

"Harry? What does he have to do with this?" Sirius asked, baffled.

Atropos took over from her sister, "Your destinies are more intertwined than you can imagine. Your threads in the Pattern are so interweaved that if you were to be taken out completely it would cause a severe shift in the Tapestry. You are fundamental in allowing Harry to succeed, by guiding him and giving him the courage and faith he needs when he has lost the light. If he does not, darkness might reign forever... This is why we must bring you back."

She spoke in the convincing tone of one who knows exactly of what they speak. Their serious faces proved that they were not jesting at the severity of the situation. He did not doubt the enormity of their power. Sirius had, as a young wizard, heard stories of the three sisters. He had learnt of the Tapestry of Life, and the great majestic Pattern it depicted. A common thread (pardon the pun) in all of the stories was the fact that what they alone had the power to foretell the future in its entirety. If they wanted him alive, it would be done...

Momentarily forgetting to whom he was talking, and always the curious one, Sirius asked, "Why did you weave it in the Pattern for me to die if you only meant to bring me back again?" A slight blush tinged his cheeks as he realized to whom he had directed his blunt question.

Lachesis laughed, a laugh that rivaled singing birds, and it rang throughout the Plane.

"The Tapestry is alive and may change at its own will, though it is rare. We did not weave it, but it has happened. We are not sure why, but the evidence points to Tom Riddle, whom you know as Voldemort."

A slight shudder passed through Sirius at the mention of the name, but it was slight and didn't last long. The fact that Voldemort possessed enough power to mess with Celestial powers frightened him.

Sirius could not help but ask questions, even though he knew that he would not remember anything that went on here. The stories had, naturally, mentioned the Medius Plane. No Mortal who went through and managed to come back to tell the tale could remember what had happened. (Sirius wasn't sure how the Wizarding Society knew about the Plane if there was no one to tell about it, but he didn'texpend energy worrying about it). He decided that questions wouldn't hurt anyway:

"How did he do it?"

"We are not sure, but we fear that he has gotten hold of the Blood Raven Crystal, which grants the bearer immense power. It is imperative that Harry stops him before it is too late."

"Why Harry? He's so young. Wouldn't someone, _older_, be more suitable for the job? Perhaps with more experience?" Sirius was worried for his godson. Harry had enough of a burden on his shoulders as the Boy-Who-Lived, without having to add this to the mixture.

"Never underestimate the young. They often have different views of the world that the elders have long forgotten." Clotho answered, a playful smile gracing her beautiful face.

"I apologize for asking so many questions, but why can't you simply weave the Pattern to allow Harry to simply win the battle, or to have Voldemort die?"

"Do not be afraid to ask questions. If people did not ask questions then the world would not be as advanced as it is today. Unlike what most mortals, like yourself, believe, we do not have so much freedom in what we weave. We, as Fate, have the power to See the entire Pattern; Past, Present and Future: from the Beginning of Time to the End of the World. People are generally close-minded, and think only of the Present circumstances. They blame Fate for their problems, when we must See **everything** and weave according to this. Many people also do not wish to believe in what they call Destiny because they feel as if this leaves them no choice. We, nevertheless, know that your experiences up until the present day guide your decisions. It isn't that you have no choice but that we know what choice you will make (before you make it), and have woven it into the Pattern. As you can see, we don't have much choice proffered to us in what we weave."

Sirius' head was spinning from all the information his brain was trying to process after that long-winded answer to his original question.

When Lachesis saw that he wasn't going to say anything for a while, she stated, "We don't have much time. Time passes differently here than in the Mortal Plane. Several months may have already passed since the last time you saw the ones you loved. We must bring you back before you can no longer return. Are you ready to go?"

Without waiting for an answer, the three Fates each took hold of his arms. Blue, red and purple lights danced around each of the sisters before intertwining around Sirius. The lights seemed to be alive, dancing around in circles, pulsing faster and faster, breaking through the crystal whiteness of the Plane before disappearing entirely. Only three drained, yet satisfied, sisters remained in the Medius Plane.

* * *

To put it simply, Harry was freaked out. He was standing in a mysterious room he had never seen before; filled entirely with unfamiliar, strange items whose purpose he could not yet fathom. However, this was not the only cause of his apprehension.

Harry could not move a muscle. It was as if he was locked in place, while the outside world continued to move. Proof of this was the large basin directly in front of him. The unknown emerald-colored liquid in this basin was flowing in violent ripples, almost a blur. In truth, he had never seen any substance move so_ fast_.

Harry tried, without success, to move. What was wrong with him? Could Voldemort possibly be behind this? He didn't doubt this in the least. It was this thought that drove him to try to move his muscles more.

Slowly, he felt an odd sensation sweep through his entire body. It was an indescribable feeling, but slowly Harry felt all his muscles begin to twitch and come alive again. The sensation was over as soon as he it had come. He heard several of his joints crack in protest before he could move around with nothing hindering him.

He crept around the large room stealthily, treating every corner as if his enemy would be lurking behind it. Harry's hand gripped his wand tightly inside his pocket. He mentally went over all the useful spells he could think of as he examined every inch of the room for signs of an attacker.

Harry relaxed a bit after he had completed his search of the room two times, and began instead to look at the objects the room held. He did not, however, loosen his grip on his wand, and he was still wary. He had just begun to look into the mysterious basin and the emerald liquid when ten people appeared in front of him.

Harry jumped back and took out his wand, ready to begin firing spells at any moment. An elderly, majestic man at the center of the group stepped forward. They didn't _look _like Death Eaters, but he still didn't trust them.

"Welcome Harry. Glad to see that you arrived here in tip-top shape."

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Harry still had his wand extended in front of him, pointed directly at the wizened man, not trusting him in the least. He knew from experience that looks could be deceiving.

"My name is Merlin, Harry. We are going to be your Guidance Council, to train you to defeat Voldemort."

The coolness with which he stated this startled him. He began to lower his wand, but did not remove it completely, and he still had his eyes trained on the man. He did not know many followers that would openly say the name Voldemort, let alone talk of defeating him, but it _could_ be a trap.

"Merlin? Merlin died a long time ago. Who are you really, and what do you want with me?" Harry asked his question again, hoping to get a more believable response. _Who did he think he was?_

As if to prove his point, the second the words were out of his mouth, his wand went flying into the old wizard's hands and Harry was placed in a full-body bind.

Harry was taken aback by the sheer amount of power it must have taken to do what he just did. The sorcerer had just wandlessly performed two spells back-to-back, and still he appeared totally calm and collected, as if the magical feat he had just accomplished was not out of the ordinary in the least. He took the body bind off, and threw Harry his wand back. Seeker-reflexes allowed him to catch it without a second's hesitation.

"I _have_ passed away Harry, and this Council consists entirely of spirits. Presently, you are in a Dream World, created by me."

"So I'm sleeping?" Harry asked, not understanding what was going on, but beginning to believe that they were not Voldemort's followers.

"Yes, and no. You are in the stage of sleeping when you are just about to wake up, and are neither fully asleep nor fully awake. Both your conscious and subconscious minds are here in my World. Your subconscious mind allows you to accept what you see as a reality, because your conscious mind alone would reject this Dream World entirely. However, if only your subconscious mind were here, and I preformed the spell when you were in deep sleep, then your mind would treat it as a dream, and you would lose all critical judgement (which isn't very helpful if we want you to train to defeat Voldemort). It will also allow you to remember everything that happens here when you wake up! Absolutely brilliant, isn't it?" Merlin said, looking very smug with himself.

"Quit your bragging, you old goat! You're giving the rest of us a headache," a tall, slim man in green robes at the back of the room stated.

"As if _you_ don't do it all the time," countered the man next to him. The others in the group laughed, and it seemed that the somewhat playful bickering was not uncommon between the two.

Merlin decided to put an end to the teasing before it became an all out war, by sealing their mouths shut with another spell. Both looked infuriated at this, and stopped glaring at each other to begin glaring at the older wizard.

Merlin began to speak as though oblivious to what the others were doing, "Before we continue I would like to introduce you to everyone here. This is Nedra and this is Kael."

The two in question walked up so that Harry could get a clear view of them. The two looked like exact opposites of one another. Kael was a dark-skinned, extremely tall (standing at 6'7") and very muscular man. Nedra was of average height, and very slim. She had very pale skin, and her chestnut hair was tied back to keep the hair out of her face. Both faces, however, held neutral, emotionless expressions.

"Kael will be in charge of improving your physical endurance and strength, and teach you Battle Tactics. Nedra will improve your speed, agility and train you in the Martial Arts. The next two are Nalani and Mandara, who will teach you self-control and discipline, and will improve your Occulmency skills."

The crowd parted to allow the aforementioned to step forward. Their outward demeanor made them seem calm, and they, too, held neutral expressions. The similarity between the two showed that they were sisters, perhaps even twins. They seemed completely at ease, and when they walked it was in the most graceful manner possible.

"I am sure you have heard of the four Hogwarts' founders. They will instruct you in the arts of Healing, History, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Harry stared at them in shock. Each was dressed in robes of their house colors, he noticed. He now recognized the two who had begun to squabble as Gryffindor and Slytherin themselves. Harry couldn't _believe_ that he would be trained by the Founders themselves. HArry's thoughts were turned from the Founders back to Merlin as he spoke again.

"Ryder will help you to develop your animagus capabilities."

Ryder looked exactly like the elves he had seen in his History of Magic textbooks. He was tall, had pale skin and entrancing blue eyes. His long, blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. He had sharp, yet delicate features, and, of course, had pointed ears.

Harry's gazed moved from Ryder back to Merlin, who began to talk again.

"Do you have any questions?"

In truth, Harry's mind was still reeling from all the information he had to process. He did believe everything that Merlin had said: it was too convincing not to. He was about to say that he didn't have any, when he suddenly remembered when he had first arrived.

"Why did I freeze up when I first got here?"

"I apologize. I should have explained that right away. You see, one of the additional beauties of my Dream World (coughing could be heard coming from the back of the room) is that time travels by eight times faster in this World than it does in yours. Your body, however, needed time to adjust to the change, which is why you were moving much slower than everything else was."

Happy with this explanation, Harry nodded.

"We will begin your training tomorrow."

Merlin waved his hand, and the world began to fade away. When Harry awoke in his room at Privet Drive, it was with a smile on his face.

* * *

Thanks to all those that reviewed: Phoebe-H, Serena24, voxenking, dishantpandya, magic-powers, and Lady of the Dragons2. Your reviews really meant a lot to me!

**voxenking**: I'm sorry that you don't agree with me bringing Sirius back to life. I agree that J.K. Rowling probably won't bring him back (she has some reason for killing him off), but for my story it works to bring him back! Thank you for continuing with the story anyway!

Please REVIEW! Your feedback really means a lot to me! I love to know what people think of my chapters! The more who review the faster I post!

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	3. Unleashing the Magic

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling (save for my OC's). If I were her I would not be here writing on this site, I would be hurrying up and writing the next book!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

* * *

Unleashing the Magic

_Man could not live if he were entirely impervious to sadness. Many sorrows can be endured only by being embraced, and the pleasure taken in them naturally has a somewhat melancholy character. So, melancholy is morbid only when it occupies too much place in life; but it is equally morbid for it to be wholly excluded from life._

- Emile Durkheim

* * *

Bright sunlight streamed through the windows as Harry woke up. He couldn't believe how late he'd slept in! He felt wide-awake and ready to start a new day. He hadn't had such a good night's sleep in ages. He was definitely glad that he had made the choice not to subscribe to the _Daily Prophet_ once again, since it was all a load of rubbish, and he no longer had to wake up at five each morning.

Well, it _had_ improved a bit since Fudge now believed Dumbledore and himself, he would admit this much, but it still left much to be desired. He would leave Hermione to know what 'the enemy was saying' as she had stated last year.

Harry took a quick shower and made his way downstairs for a quick brunch, having already missed breakfast with the rest of the house's residents. He popped several slices of bread into the toaster and poured himself a glass of milk as he waited.

He took his toast and enjoyed his meal quietly, still mulling over the events of the previous night. He wondered if he would still get Voldemort-induced nightmares, and decided to ask Merlin tonight.

As he thought about it, something just wasn't clear. Merlin had explained what everyone in the council would teach him, but he had left out what his _own_ role in the council was! Perhaps Harry would be able to learn wandless magic! He really hoped that this was the case, but he didn't keep his hopes too high: wandless magic was very difficult and required both a lot of concentration and a large reserve of magical power.

Harry resolved not to think about any of this. He would, after all, find out tonight. He went upstairs to refill Hedwig's food and water, and then decided to take a nice, long walk. Fresh air would do him good, and hopefully clear his mind, now that he no longer needed to study as much during his waking hours.

He went outside. While the weather had much improved from last summer's heat, today seemed to be particularly more humid than yesterday. Harry turned a corner and began walking along Magnolia Drive. Halfway down, he passed the alleyway where he had first seen Sirius.

Memories came flooding back to him. He saw Sirius falling through the veil again, and again, and again before his eyes. He closed them quickly, and yet that did nothing to stop the images still flashing through his mind. He opened his eyes again, but he could not help but stare transfixed at the narrow passage down the side of the garage. Sirius had _understood_ what he was going through last summer, and he needed him now more than last year.

After several minutes, Harry began to notice people staring at him. _Let them stare_, he thought to himself with unusual bitterness, but all the same he decided it best to start moving again. All thoughts of a nice, calm, peaceful walk vanished, and the rest of his walk was filled with gloomy, morose thoughts.

He crossed Magnolia Crescent, which turned into Magnolia Road, and he headed towards the same playground he had last summer, trying to keep Sirius out of his thoughts. Harry bounded over the low gate and sat on the grass (to his dismay, Dudley's gang had managed to destroy the last swing in the park). He lay down and stared at the magnificent sun overhead.

Harry closed his eyes and let the warmth of the celestial fireball flow through him, dissipating his anger at the world – and at Sirius for abandoning him right when he needed his most. He could do nothing about that for now. He had to make do with what he had.

Harry clenched his fists, as renewed vigor flashed through his body. He would make Bellatrix _pay_ for what she did to Sirius. He would make Voldemort _pay_ for making his life a living hell at times. The prophecy was right: _neither_ could _live while the other survived. _

Harry lay there in silence, until the humidity became almost too much to bear. As he sat up, lightning tore through the sky and the thunder deafened the ears. _It's going to rain_, he stated the obvious to himself, and stood up.

Dark clouds reigned the sky, and the brilliant sun, which had shone but two seconds ago, was nowhere to be seen. Without any other warning, the rain began to pour. Harry made no move to leave, and simply stood still as the heavens dumped bucket after bucket of water onto the world.

All around him Harry could hear people running to reach the sanctuary of their homes. He, unlike so many others, absolutely loved the feeling of freedom brought on by the rain. He knew he would probably have to pay for this after (Aunt Petunia would have a fit if he dragged water throughout the house) but he decided to enjoy it while he could.

One drop of rain. His concerns began to ebb away. Another drop of rain. His worries began to subside. Another drop. His sadness began to leave him. He raised his head and allowed the rain to fall directly on his face. Another drop, and another, and another. His anxieties, his sorrow, his tenseness, his self-doubt, his anger, his pain. They flowed away as the rain that flowed down towards the sewers. They would all come back afterward, but for now he let his body ease and relax.

He became calmer as the storm around him grew fiercer. Thunder roared. Lightning flashed. The rain kept on pouring. The pitter-patter soothed him, as it had long ago, when he called the cupboard-under-the-stairs his home.

Low, angry muttering nearby broke him out of his trance-like state. Harry turned in the direction of the sound, and saw nothing. Suddenly, he remembered. How could he have been so dense? Someone from the Order of the Phoenix must have been forced to follow him here, waiting in the rain. He laughed as he recognized Mundungus' voice from under the invisibility cloak.

Harry decided to end the other man's suffering. He ran all the way back to number Four Privet Drive. He opened the door as silently as he could, took off his shoes and quickly ran up the stairs, trying his best not to trail any water. He reached his room and changed into the first pair of dry clothes he could find. He had obviously not dripped any wateras he didn't hear any yelling, and had been lucky enough to escape Aunt Petunia's wrath. Harry doubted that even the threats made by the Order would be enough to keep her from yelling at anyone who spoiled her perfect house!

Harry decided to stay upstairs and study for a little bit. Thinking back to last night, he realized that he would probably be having Slytherin as a Potions teacher. If he had thought that Snape was bad, how would Slytherin himself be?

He took out _Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger from his trunk. _Might as well start from the beginning_, he thought. He opened the volume to the first page and began to read...

* * *

Harry looked around, and found himself in the Dream World again. Unlike last time, however, he could freely move about without any ado. He looked around, and as he saw none of his 'council', he decided to explore until they came.

He walked around the large basin and down a corridor, which seemed to be full of mirrors. The one that caught his eye, however, was the one directly at the end of the passage. It was a soaring mirror, with a solid gold frame. The words etched all along the frame were written in some unknown language. The top portion of the frame bore the Latin words: _Speculum di Virium._

As Harry approached the mirror, he saw his reflection. The image was fuzzy and distorted, and he could hardly tell that it was himself at whom he was looking. He shook his head, perhaps he would find out what the bizarre mirror meant later on.

After finishing a quick tour, and seeing several of the other strange objects the room held, Merlin appeared in front of him. The wizening sorcerer looked happy to see Harry, and wordlessly led him out of the room.

Several twisting passages later found Merlin and Harry in front of a tall, oak door. Merlin opened it. Harry half expected – well he wasn't sure what he expected, but it certainly didn't include what he saw. The large hall had pale peach walls, and was devoid of any furniture save for a small, round table in the center.

This counter held a small basin half-filled with water, and various gemstones scattered unevenly around the table. Among these Harry recognized an emerald, a ruby, an amethyst, several diamonds, and what he believed to be a sunstone.

"Harry," Merlin began, leading Harry to the centre of the room. "Your training officially starts today. However, before we can begin, you have to receive your powers."

Merlin stated this in such a mild manner that it took several seconds for what he said to sink in. _This must be what Merlin will be teaching me_, Harry thought, excited.

"What do you mean by powers?"

Merlin sighed, and two plush, leather chairs appeared beside him. He took a seat and motioned for the slightly stunned wizard to do the same. Once Harry was seated comfortably, Merlin began to explain.

"At the moment, while you are a very powerful wizard for your age, no matter how long or hard you train, you would not be able to defeat Voldemort. Your current powers are insufficient. Now please Harry, don't interrupt, and let me explain," he said, as he saw his young charge about to speak.

"Voldemort is in possession of powers beyond what you can imagine. Not only is he a very powerful wizard by birth, as he is the Heir of Slytherin, but he has also been tapping into other people's magic, and using the Dark Arts to attain even higher levels of power. True, these have not come without a price, but we will talk about that later. The importance right now is that Voldemort has now become one of the most powerful wizards of all time, and is growing more powerful as we speak."

"If Voldemort has as much power as you claim, than why hasn't he used it to kill Dumbledore and I? You must be exaggerating. The way you go on, he could already have Hogwarts if he wanted to – " Harry was beginning to panic: how was he expected to defeat him now?

"I _did_ say that he has this much power, but I said _nothing_ about him having the ability to wield it. This is why he has not openly used these powers yet. He must train before he can use them without hurting himself."

Merlin smirked, and his eyes twinkled mischievously, and with more intensity than even Dumbledore himself could match.

"How do you know all of this if he hasn't used these powers?"

If possible, or perhaps it was simply his imagination running rampant and getting the better of him, Harry could have sworn he saw Merlin's eyes sparkle with even more ferocity!

"My dear boy, lest you begin to forget, you are talking to a spirit. Without physical embodiment, I am no longer confined to the earthly plane. I have access to much more information of the past, present and future than is available to the living."

"If you have all that knowledge, why can't you just tell me what's going to happen?" Harry grinned; he was in a rebellious mood.

"There is a difference between being told what will happen, and walking the path itself. There are some things your mind must discover for itself."

Merlin stood, and Harry followed his example quickly (worried that Merlin would find it amusing to make the chair disappear while he was still on it). With a quick wave of his hands, the chairs vanished, and the sorcerer walked up to the table.

"Now that you understand why we must awaken you power, we can now begin the ceremony – "

"Awaken?" Harry interrupted.

"Your power is already inside of you. It lies dormant, waiting. Anticipating. Biding its time until it is awoken; unleashed. The power you have now is just the tip of the iceberg.We have to unleash it before you can use it, of course."

Harry nodded numbly. He had never _asked_ for any of this. Not for the first time, Harry simply wished that he could be normal. Had he ever been normal? Would he ever be normal? What _was_ normal? Like so many other times in his life, Harry resigned himself to the realization that he would never be ordinary; blend in, go with the flow and simply be another face in the crowd. That he would never be run-of-the-mill, even in the wizarding world. _Especially_ not in the wizarding world. It got tiresome to be a black sheep all the time.

"Now if there are no more questions, we can _finally_ continue." Merlin feigned annoyance, but his sparkling midnight-blue orbs betrayed him.

"Follow my instructions. Are you ready?"

"Yes I am." Harry said in a voice that, thankfully, did not give away his fear. He was, after all, a Gryffindor, and prided himself in his courage.

"Don't worry, I'll be able to help you along for most of it."

With this, Merlin walked up to the table, and began chanting in an unknown language, perhaps even multiple languages. His voice was barely above a whisper, and Harry had to strain at times to hear him. He started to re-arrange the crystals on the table. As he set each stone where it belonged, they began to glow softly.

The chanting became louder and more ferocious as Merlin continued. When all the gems were set, he placed his hands above the golden basin. His hands shone with a pure white light as the water in the basin began to stir. Ripples, starting in the center and moving outwards, formed in the water, becoming more violent as the incantation increased in both speed and sound.

Merlin raised his palms upwards and the crystals began to emit a faint humming sound, rasing above the table. The humming became louder and louder until Merlin's voice could no longer be heard, and only his moving lips proved that the older man was still singing.

The noises became so loud that Harry thought his eardrums would pop, and they continued to increase in volume. He wanted to move his hands to cover his ears, but they were glued to his sides. When he knew that he wouldn't be able to handle it anymore, the humming softened to a murmur. The chanting ceased completely, and the stones floated slowly back to where they had begun.

"Harry. Search deep inside yourself and find your magical core."

Aided by the spell, Harry slowed his breathing and entered a trance.

The humming,

Merlin's breathing,

His own breathing,

His heart beating.

He pushed all exterior sounds in the room until they were faint and distant. He entered a complete trance, and looked inside himself. He saw a white tendril of pure light, and began to follow it. He delved further and further into himself, searching. The tendril thickened as he continued, and he knew without doubt that he was getting closer.

Harry could _feel_ the magic. It was _alive_. It pulsed and flowed, moved and danced rhythmically to a tune known onlyby itself. When he entered the core, he was dazzled.

This was _pure_ magic. He had never felt anything as wonderful as this in his entire life. He felt drunken with pleasure, and the magic continued to feed his thirst. It just felt, _right_. There was no better way to describe it than that, because it was simply indescribable. It was as if he had just discovered himself. The true him.

The core was an absolute white light. It was _huge_. However, as he continued to move about, he noticed that the bottom portion was dimmed. There were black tendrils criss-crossed over it, keeping it restrained. The faint light tried to fight the barriers, but could not succeed.

If the other part of his core was huge, than this was _colossal_. _These must be my powers_, Harry thought in awe. _Merlin was right; this is so much more than I could ever have imagined. _Merlin's voice cut through his thoughts:

"Harry, you will have to cut the barriers loose, and let the rest of your magic free."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Relax, and let your magic guide you. It will know what to do."

Harry slowed his breathing again, and did as Merlin ordered. He let his magic guide his actions. He placed his hands in front of him and began to mind-call thick tendrils of magic from his normal core.Having succeeded, he pulled them and began to weave them tightly around their black equivalents. Once done, he pulled on the frosty branches.

The black magic barriers strained, and several of the bonds snapped open. Harry called his magic to himself again and repeated the process. Each time he pulled on the barriers, they crumbled more and more. On his fifth try, the barriers were down completely.

The previously dim light pulsed fiercely, alive again. His magic was finally unleashed. With every beat the light grew stronger and stronger, until the two portions were fused together so perfectly that no one would ever be able to tell that they had ever been separated.

Harry left his trance smiling. _I did it_, was his last thought as he fell into a blissful unconsciousness. Merlin stared at the young boy in shock. _He_ had been the one to place those barriers on Harry when he was born, to protect him and those around him. They were to remain dormant until he was ready to begin his training.

He, Merlin, one of the most _powerful_ wizards of all time, had made those barriers almost indestructible. If he had tried to take them away himself, it would have taken him at least seven tries. This included the fact that the spell was his own, and the additional magic spirits gained after leaving their corporeal bodies behind.

How had Harry been able to destroy them so quickly? And using only the unblocked portion of his magic? This boy was powerful. Even more so than himself. Merlin was shell-shocked. Tom Marvolo Riddle would sorely rue the day he had crossed Harry Potter.

* * *

Another chapter up! Hoped you enjoyed it! I promise more Ginny next chapter! And some Sirius if you're good!

My special thanks to: Harry/Ginnyfan4ever, andrea10, Eternity of Twilight, Lady of the Dragons2, magic-powers, Lady of Masbolle, mysticruby, rahl, and Phoebe-H

Thanks for all your reviews! They really meant a lot to me! A special thanks goes to Phoebe-H! Your advice really helped me out!

Please review! I love getting feedback! The more who review the faster I update! Go on, review!

* * *


	4. Side Effects

* * *

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie (Lady Lyssa)

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling (save for my impersonations of Fate, my OCs and my plot). If I were her I would not be here writing on this site, I would be hurrying up and writing the next book!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

* * *

Side Effects

Don't flatter yourself that friendship authorizes you to say disagreeable things to your intimates. The nearer you come into relation with a person, the more necessary do tact and courtesy become. Except in cases of necessity, which are rare, leave your friend to learn unpleasant things from his enemies; they are ready enough to tell them.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, _The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, 1858_

* * *

Ginny sat at her desk, quill in hand, idly staring at the blank sheet of parchment in front of her. She sighed and raked her hands through her flaming red hair. Crumpled pieces of parchment cluttered her desk and littered the floor around her. _Why can't I get this letter right?_

Ginny chewed on the end of her quill, thinking. _Poor Harry_, she thought. _He's already been through so much, suffered so much, and now Sirius... Knowing Harry, he was off feeling sorry for himself for what he didn't even cause._ She knew from experience: it had been one long guilt-trip for her the summer following her first year. It had been _her_ fault that the muggle-borns had been attacked...

Ginny shuddered involuntarily. Just when she was sure that she had gotten over him, Tom crept back to haunt her. As memories of him floated to the fore-front of her mind, she quickly pushed them back. This was NOT the time to "reminiscence". She turned back to her letter...

* * *

Harry opened his eyes, but immediately shut them to stop the light from permanently blinding him. He waited a few seconds before blearily opening them again; this time slower, so as to give his eyes time to adjust to his sunlit room. When he could open his eyes fully without disturbance, he put on his glasses and summoned the energy to get out of bed.

The first thing that hit him: complete exhaustion. His vision doubled and he felt light-headed and dizzy. He quickly sat back down on his bed, hoping it would pass. He didn't think that he had _ever_ felt this drained in his entire life.

Memories of last night came back to him: he had unleashed his magic! Why hadn't Merlin warned him of the side effects? Harry's best guess was that, being at his magic's core, he had used up more than he had in a long time all at once, without realizing it.

After a few minutes passed however, he began to feel better and more awake. Harry could feel the exhaustion leave his body part by part. As the magic flowed through him, exhaustion was replaced with vigor, liveliness and energy. Harry shrugged: perhaps his new magic had needed time to become fully unleashed in the real world, instead of the dream one.

Not bothering to spend more time on it than necessary, Harry leaped out of bed and took a quick shower before running down the stairs two at a time. He made himself a quick bite to eat, cleaned the mess, and ran back up again. He couldn't _believe_ the energy flowing through him. He was definitely going to get used to this. As he reached the top landing, he heard his Uncle yell at him from his bedroom.

"Don't forget to write to – those friends of yours and tell them that we have been treating you right. We don't need those frea –"

Vernon appeared to reconsider his last choice of words, and let his words hang.

"Don't worry; I'm going to write to them now."

In truth, Harry had almost forgotten about his promise to the Order: write to them every three days to make sure that everything was all right and that the Dursley's weren't mistreating him. Not sure whether or not to count the day he had arrived, he decided it was better to be safe than sorry.

He went into his room, took out a piece of parchment and began to write. Not sure to whom to address it, he made his greeting general:

_Dear Order,_

_Everything is going well. The Dursley's are treating me fine. Nothing much is happening. Don't worry, I'm fine._

_Harry_

Short, simple and to-the-point. Okay, so it was half-filled with lies. He wasn't _really_ okay. And something _had_ happened, but he wasn't about to tell the entire Order about Merlin and the council. Perhaps he would tell some of them later, but he had to sort everything out in his head before that. He didn't want them to treat him like a puppet; to be used and then disposed of. _He_ would start making some of the decisions himself, _and_ he would find out what was going on.

Taking out another two rolls of parchment, Harry also decided that he should send letters to both Ron and Hermione.

_Dear Ron,_

_How is it going? Everything's fine here, the Dursley's are really much better. How is your family doing? What is Percy up to? Has your family made up with him? How are the twins doing? Is business booming?_

_Have you found out anything about the Order? Write back with any information you have, I don't want to be out of the loop again._

_I also wanted to apologize for being a real git last year towards you. I shouldn't have taken it all out on you, it wasn't your fault in the least. Please accept my apologies; friends don't treat each other like that. Furthermore, I should thank you for coming with me to the Department of Mysteries. You stuck by me like a true friend. Thanks mate._

_Write back soon._

_Your friend,_

_Harry_

An almost identical one was written for Hermione.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Everything's fine here, the Dursley's are really much better. How is it going? I bet you are bored out of your mind without any homework to finish since we had OWLs this year! What news has the Daily Prophet been spreading now? Please fill me in on anything you know, I really want to be in the loop this year. As I'm sure you're well aware, the year-ban on Rita Skeeter writing is almost over. Do you think she's learned her lesson?_

_Also, I would like to apologize for my horrible behavior to you last year. What I was going through was not in the slightest your fault, and friends don't treat each other like that. Please accept my apologies. Furthermore, I should thank you for coming with me to the Department of Mysteries. You stuck by me like a true friend would._

_Write back soon._

_Your friend,_

_Harry _

Harry re-read them. They were perfect. Of course, he hadn't mentioned the prophecy to them yet. He wasn't ready for it yet, and besides, it was only fair that he tell them something as important as this in person when he was ready.

At that precise moment, as if fully aware that her master needed her to send a letter, Hedwig appeared at the window. The Dursley's (of course) had no protests about letting her fly freely. Or at least, they didn't complain in front of _him._ Harry opened the door, and Hedwig flew onto his shoulder, and nipped his ear affectionately. Harry took the letters off the table, folded them, and tied them to her leg securely.

"This one goes to the Order, this one to Ron and this one to Hermione. Fly safely girl, and come back soon."

He watched her fly off his shoulder and out of the window. He stared at her enviously as she soared through the sky. He turned around when she was no more than a speck in the distance. Perhaps another walk would do him good, clear his head. He promised himself that he would clear his mind, and not think of the dearly departed.

* * *

(Ten Sheets of Parchment, Two Quills and Two Hours Later at the Burrow)

Ginny stared in awe at her letter. It was _perfect_! She proof-read her work one last time:

_Dear Harry,_

_How are you? You don't have to answer that; I know you aren't feeling better yet. However, as bad as you are feeling from his loss, you MUST NOT BLAME YOURSELF for what happened. It wasn't your fault, and deep down I know that you have realized that; but as stubborn as you are you just won't admit it to yourself._

_I understand what you are going through. You seem to keep forgetting, but my first year was really tough on me. The summer after was especially difficult, having to deal with the blame all by myself. Even in a house full of people (literally) I still felt alone. There was no one to share my feelings with. The problem was too personal._

_It took me a really long time to realize that it was Tom's fault, not mine. He was the one who had taken control of me, and petrified the students. The blame lies with him, not me. Of course, if I hadn't poured my heart into the diary, none of it would have happened. Life is like that, there is no point in living in the past and dwelling on our mistakes. We must move on, and most importantly learn from them, so as not to make them again in the future._

_You have to believe that I speak from experience: it is Bellatrix's, Kreacher's, and most of all Voldemort's fault, not your own. Don't do anything foolhardy, but just learn from this. I know it will take time for you to heal, I don't doubt it, and that it will take time for all of this wisdom to sink into your stubborn head. You saw what you saw and you did what you thought was the best course of action, with the best intentions in mind; there is nothing you can do to change that. Remember that you didn't mean harm, they did. The blame lies with those who meant to cause other people pain._

_I know that you probably won't talk to anyone about it, but please try. It would make all the difference (didn't a famous wizard once say that 'Share with someone your joys to double them, and your sorrows to halve them'?). Whatever you decide to do, just don't focus on the if only's and forget to live. _

_However, when we next see you, no matter what you've decided, I want you to promise me that you won't blow up on us. Hermione and Ron really don't need it, and you know that they have done nothing to deserve it. But they seem to just take it as it comes, and someone has to put you right: it looks as if I'm going to have to be the one to do it. Don't blow all of your troubles onto them. They didn't cause them, and yelling at them isn't going to put things right again. An apology is definitely in order._

_I know that you don't need this right now, but you desperately need the wake up call to stop acting like a real prat. If anyone, you can always go and yell at Malfoy. God knows the ferret deserves it..._

_I really hope that this letter helped you. Always remember that I'll be here if you ever need to talk to me. I'm only an owl away, and I'm no longer the little girl you think I am..._

_Always,_

_Ginny_

She smiled in delight; this would teach _him_ to treat her like 'Ron's little sister' (which annoyed her to no end). When she had said that she had lost her 'school-girl' crush on him, she had spoken the truth; it had developed into something – well, different.

She wasn't obsessed with him anymore, and had put herself to the fact that she would probably not end up with him, but that didn't mean that all emotions were completely gone (far from it). It was simply less of an – infatuation. And she had realized that if there were any chance of her getting him, she would have work to get him and his thick skull to notice her.

Looking out her window and seeing the moon shining through, she realized that time had flown by and it was late. Deciding to send her letter with Pigwidgeon first thing in the morning, she got into bed and pulled her floral sheets over her body. She turned off the light, and easily fell into a deep slumber, dreaming about a certain bespectacled, raven-haired boy she knew.

* * *

Harry lay down on the park grass. He closed his eyes and allowed his skin to soak in the warm summer sun. It felt good to relax and allow all his tension to flow away.

He sat bolt upright when he heard sounds, hand already in his back pocket (where he kept it, despite Moody's warnings), ready to draw if needed.

Harry was about to lay back down when he realized that it was only Dudley's gang, until he noticed that they were tormenting Mark Evans again. He couldn't _believe_ the nerve of those kids. He stood up and made his way towards them, totally intent on giving them a taste of their own medicine. Well, not really, but at least have them stop hurting the poor boy.

Without Harry realizing it, the air around him crackled with magic as his anger drove him closer to the bullies. When he saw Piers about to openly take a swing at the fallen child, he yelled.

"STOP!"

Unbeknownst to him, his magic had been building up, and as soon as the words were out of his mouth, a white beam of light shot out from him towards Piers. Not knowing what to do, Harry focused all of his concentration and willed the beam away from Piers.

The streetlamp that it hit exploded on impact, and the pavement around it was beginning to crack. Thankfully, all of them had had their faces turned, and, as such, none of them had seen the light. The gang, terrified when they saw the explosion, ran away from him as fast as they could: Dudley afraid of Harry's magic, the rest afraid of Harry's 'fire-crackers'!

With a look as shocked as Harry felt, Mark looked up to Harry, murmured a quick thanks under his breath, before running away as well. Harry sat down, and put his head in his hands. He never thought he would be grateful for his reputation as a highly-disturbed child. _Someone could have found out about the magic, or worse, someone could really have been hurt if I hadn't managed to move the beam. _He desperately hoped that Merlin would teach him to control his new powers, and fast.

When he heard sirens wailing, he stood up and ran away from the park. He didn't want to be found in association with the accident. He highly doubted that any of the gang would tell on him: they would have to explain what they had been doing and Harry would bet his Firebolt that they would not want to spend time in a juvenile delinquent hall.

But as he walked, a sinking feeling entered his stomach: could the Ministry of Magic detect what he had just done?

* * *

Harry found himself in the same room as the past two nights. Already familiar with the room, he decided to go back to analyze the mirror. _That's weird_, he thought. When he approached the mirror, his reflection didn't fuzz out as much as the previous time. While it was still unclear, it was more than just a vague outline, and some of his details could be seen.

He heard Merlin approach, and turned around to greet the wizening wizard, thoughts of the mirror driven to the back of his mind as thoughts of the fight came to him.

"Why didn't you warn me that I wouldn't have any control over my powers?" Harry accused him. Merlin's eyes twinkled madly.

"If my memories serve me right, you left before I had a chance to warn you."

"Ya, well..." Harry couldn't come up with a good comeback. He _had_ left early, not that it was his fault, but the blame didn't lie with Merlin either.

Merlin led Harry down several winding corridors. As they walked, Harry continued to talk.

"Why don't I have control over my powers? Will I eventually have control over them?"

Merlin nodded, "You don't have control yet because the magic is raw and untamed, unlike the magic that you've had all your life, which grew and adapted to you. You must work to tame this new wild magic. Don't worry, control will come soon enough. All you need is hard work and concentration so that you have firm control over them. Of course, if you let your emotions rule you instead of ruling your emotions, you might have some problems."

Harry blushed. He didn't know how Merlin had known about that, and felt that he didn't want to.

"Of course," Merlin continued when he saw that Harry wasn't going to speak. "Nalani and Mandara will help you with controlling them, so you shouldn't have much of a problem. Ah ha! Here we are."

Merlin opened the tall, oak door and motioned Harry into the room, the same as the previous day. The peach room was still devoid of any furniture; even the center table was missing.

"Let us begin working on controlling your powers."

* * *

Sirius woke up, his head pounding ferociously. His head protested even more as he tried to sit up. Griting through the pain, Sirius stood and looked at his surroundings. He was alone in the Department of Mysteries. The veil under a stone archway fluttered behind him.

Hadn't he been in battle? What had happened? Sirius vaguely remembered three stunningly beautiful women in a white room, but the images were gone as soon as they had come. Replacing them was a calm that spread through his entire body. All he knew, instinctively, was that something bad had happened, and now it had been fixed. He could find Harry now, before any Unspeakables saw him. Sirius was, after all, still an 'escaped convict' in their eyes...

* * *

A/N: Another chapter up! Hoped you enjoyed it, even though I think its the worst on yet! Every update from now on will be weekly! I really apologize, but now that school has started, I'm going to be swamped with homework, and I won't have that much free time to write! Don't worry, holidays will be filled with chapters. :D

Thanks to all those that reviewed, they really encouraged me to keep on writing! I love reviews! Now on to the review responses:

**Harry/Ginnyfan4ever**: Thanks for your 'in person' review! I'll try to update as soon as I can! I am so sorry for reversing the order! Me profuse apologies. Please forgive...

**Eternity of Twilight**: I hoped you liked the Ginny. I know she wasn't really rampant in this chapter, but I promise she will definitely be in later chapters.

**Lady of the Dragons2**: The training begins next chapter (I promise)! More Sirius later on!

**Lek Nufrac**: I'll update as soon as I can, I promise. But don't expect it more often than once a week, sorry.

**Gohan00**: Thanks for the review!

**Dr. Gero**: I was so happy when I saw that you thought my story was the best Harry-superpower story. I started dancing around the room. That means soooo much to me! I hope you enjoyed the details. I know there weren't a lot during this chapter, but I promise more later on! Thank you for not pressuring me to update quickly. My writing is better if I'm not pressured to update as soon as possible, and can take my time!

**Phoebe-H**: Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for the help, I really needed it! Thanks for your time! (lol)

**Blue-skies**: Thanks for the review! I agree that Merlin and Dumbledore really resemble each other, but I assure you that that was done purposefully. They are both old wizards with superior knowledge of affairs, and an annoying twinkle in their eyes when they know something that you don't. I'm sorry that you found the Matrix part too cliched. The funny part was that I wrote it and thought it sounded good before realizing that it was from that movie! Oh well... Thanks for the review. I'm going to use your info... later on in the story :D

Please REVIEW guys! It's that little button in the bottom left hand corner. The next chapter will have more training, I promise.

* * *


	5. Incrementum Veneficus

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie (Lady Lyssa)

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling (save for my impersonations of Fate, my OCs and my plot). If I were her I would not be here writing on this site, I would be hurrying up and writing the next book! Part of my descriptions of entering a trance is based slightly on the works of Robert Jordan and Tamora Pierce.

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

I would like to extend a special thanks to Eternity of Twilight, for pointing out a mistake last chapter, which was fixed right away! :D She also noticed that Ginny mentioned Voldemort in her letter, and that she would be more likely to say you-know-who. I was going to explain the difference in later chapters, and still will, but I'm going to clear it up here as well. In my opinion, Ginny is a tough girl. Add this to Hermione's influence, and I think that she will be the next in the books to say Voldemort. It is my opinion that, especially after the Department of Mysteries (when she realized that there _is_ a war going on), I believe that she will change her ways, either over the last school days or at the beginning of the summer. Even if J.K Rowling isn't doing that, this is what is happening in my story! Hope that cleared up some issues! If anyone else notices any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me, even if it is a grammatical one (I'm a perfectionist... and I won't bite) Thanks again!

Now on to the chapter!

* * *

Incrementum Veneficus

Passive acceptance of the teacher's wisdom is easy to most boys and girls. It involves no effort of independent thought, and seems rational because the teacher knows more than his pupils; it is moreover a way to win the favor of the teacher unless he is a very exceptional man. Yet the habit of passive acceptance is a disastrous one in later life. It causes men to seek a leader, and to accept as a leader whoever is established in that position ... It will be said that the joy of mental adventure must be rare, that there are few who can appreciate it, and that ordinary education can take no account of so aristocratic a good. I do not believe this. The joy of mental adventure is far commoner in the young than in grown men and women. Among children it is very common, and grows naturally out of the period of make-believe and fancy. It is rare in later life because everything is done to kill it during education...The wish to preserve that past rather than the hope of creating a future dominates the minds of those teaching the young. Education should not aim at the passive awareness of dead facts, but at an activity directed towards the world that our efforts are to create.

- Bertrand Russell

* * *

Like the previous time, Merlin led Harry to the center of the room.

"Today I will teach you some very basic wandless magic, but you must first learn to reach your magical core without my help, and call upon the different types of magic you possess."

Harry was perplexed. "What do you mean by different types of magic?" When he had gone down into his core, he had only seen white light.

"There are eight different categories of magic in the universe. First, there is vis veneficus, or natural magic. This type of magic is green, and is found in the growing plants all around us. Any spells or potions used that are generally associated with herbology will usually use this category of magic. However, don't be fooled. The colors of curses, charms or spells have nothing to do with the color of their counter-part branch of magic "

Harry nodded, it made sense.

"The next category is curato veneficus, or healing magic. All living beings have this blue magic in them, to some extent, which allows small bumps and scrapes to heal. Some healing spells and potions will allow the user to mend things at a much faster rate than it would take in real life, or even heal things that would otherwise never have been possible to heal.

"However, only natural born healers, or wizards and witches who have used the Dark Arts to increase their potential, have enough of this branch of magic to self-heal major wounds, or even go so far as to heal another person. Healing magic used to be extremely common among witches and wizards, but is now _extremely_ rare. The last known natural healer lived nearly 700 years ago. That is, not including Voldemort and yourself, and Dumbledore is rumored to possess more than the average wizard."

Saying that Harry was surprised that he was a natural healer would be putting it mildly. When Merlin had mentioned that he would be trained in the Healing Arts, he had expected to learn something more along the lines of Madam Pomfrey's work. Then again, he should have guessed. After all, when had he ever been one to be normal?

"The next branch of magic is the vox veneficus. This red magic includes both curses and counter-curses." Merlin raised his hand to silence Harry, who appeared about to speak. "As strange as this may sound to you, curses and their counter-parts share the same branch of magic because their magical compositions are very similar to each other! The difference between them is slight, but enough for one to eradicate the other."

Harry thought back to his textbook from last year, _Defensive Magical Theory_ by Wilbert Slinkhard (he grimaced as he tried not to think about his previous Professor, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his right hand). He had just re-read the text-book the day before, after the incident with Dudley's gang, and remembered one of the chapters towards the back of the book outlining the magical compositions of curses and their counter-parts. It had been very brief and lacked a lot of the usual details found in defensive textbooks, but Harry had noticed that the two _had_ been similar.

Merlin waited for Harry to finish this thought-process before continuing (again, Harry was not entirely sure if he wanted to know if Merlin knew what he was thinking), "The next category is mutare veneficus, or the transfiguratory magic. This, of course, covers any spells or potions dealing with transfiguration, including the Polyjuice Potion." At this, Merlin's eyes shined even brighter.

"What about animagus transformations? Would it use this type of magic?"

Merlin smiled; he loved the questions he was receiving from his charge. They were well thought-out and showed that Harry was taking his training seriously.

"For the most part, it does, but we will get into animagus transformations another day. The next class of magic is phylacterium veneficus, or charms magic. This orange branch of magic deals with all charm-related spells. This is the first branch of magic you will be taught to use. Another branch of magic is divinatio veneficus, or divinatory magic. This purple magic deals with the Inner Eye, and any divinatory magic, as well as part of your Second Sight capabilities."

"Second Sight?"

"You will learn about this later. The next class is tempestus veneficus, or weather magic. Most wizards and witches do not use this type of magic, which is found more in nature than anything else. This indigo magic, however, can be used by select few to have control over the elements. You, of course, possess the ability to use it –"

Harry smiled; this would definitely come in handy.

"– and so does Voldemort."

Harry's face fell. _Oh well, so much for that theory_. Merlin noticed this.

"You seem to keep forgetting what I say: Voldemort has the _ability_ to use it, but he has not yet trained himself to the level of proficiency needed to have complete control over the raging elements, which is essential. You still have a chance, if you work hard, to gain this control before he does, but I warn you that it will not be easy."

The twinkle in his eyes was gone, replaced with cold-hard determination to win, mirrored in his charge's eyes as well.

"The next and last type of magic is incrementum veneficus. This is white magic, found in every living being on this earth. Of course, magical beings possess much more, but every being has some."

"Every being? Even muggles?"

"Yes, in order to live, every living being must have some of this magic. The Avada Kedavra curse drains the victim's life force magic, or white magic, and this is why the killing curse works on muggles as well as wizards."

Harry smiled internally. If only the Dursley's knew that they possessed the very thing they hated with their entire being!

"Is this the type of magic I saw in my core?" Harry asked, still a bit perplexed.

"Yes it is. In a way, this magic can be considered magic in its purest form, and includes all other branches of magic. However, muggles have so little of this magic that they won't be able to perform even the slightest of spells. The more a person has, the more powerful they become. For example, squibs have more magic than the average muggle, but not as much as the average wizard. This is why, with a lot of training, some squibs are able to perform the most basic of spells, but no more than this."

Harry reflected on all of this, trying to allow his brain to grasp all of the information he had just been given, when a thought struck him.

"Why do I have to learn how to call upon the different types of magic now, and never had to Hogwarts?"

Merlin looked amused again. "A very good question. You did not have to learn it at Hogwarts because your wand automatically separates your magic for you every time you say a spell. However, now that you will be using wandless magic, you will have to learn this for yourself."

"Why do I have to learn wandless magic then? Isn't using a wand easier?"

"There are three main reasons for using wandless magic. First off, it is more powerful because the magic is pulled directly from its core, rather than being distilled by having to go through your wand. Secondly, if you are ever caught without your wand, and are attacked, you will still be prepared. Lastly, not all types of magic can be used with a wand, such as animagus transformations, healing and divination. This is why these magics are quite rare, and require a lot of power. You will need to be able to draw upon these types of magic in order to use them."

Harry nodded; this made a lot of sense.

"As you explained them, you mentioned colors. Is there a reason they are divided like that?"

"Mages long ago found this system the easiest to grasp, since it had taught to seven year old children. What can I say? The system stuck."

"Why was it taught to children?"

Merlin sighed, and Harry anticipated another long explanation. "In the olden days, magic was taught to children as soon as their magic revealed itself, which varied between five and eight years old for the most part. At that time, all wizards learned wandless magic. However, when Miladrius Diktrius invented the wand, wizards realized that this was a much more efficient way to do magic. It did not require as much power, nor as much concentration, and was much easier to teach to children. People became lazier and lazier and became accustomed to using wands. Children went to school at age eleven to begin learning magic, and memory of how to use wandless magic became lost, save in several very old books. They had no need for very powerful spells, and the fact that the wand was less powerful did not bother them too much. Any more questions, or shall we begin?"

Harry couldn't wait. This was the chance he had been waiting for. He would _finally_ learn how to do wandless magic, or at least the basics behind it. "No, let's start right away."

Merlin nodded, having expected as much.

"Harry, I need you to enter a trance. You must relax your body and empty your mind. If you ever have trouble because of your emotions, then picture a void and put any excess feelings into this void. Don't lose hope if you have trouble, you probably won't get it today, let alone on the first try. This will become easier with practice."

Harry nodded, and sat down on the floor (he might as well be comfortable). He closed his eyes and let his breathing slow until he could barely hear it. He focused and did as Merlin had instructed. He emptied his mind and relaxed his body. Every few minutes he would have to scratch an itch, or would have to move his body to get comfortable, before re-starting. The process was long and cumbersome, but not once did he hear his mentor complaining. It had been a lot easier to enter the trance when he was aided by Merlin's spell!

_I can't wait to see how well Harry will accomplish this..._

* * *

After nearly an hour had passed, Harry had finally (to his absolute joy) managed to enter a complete trance.

"Now you must reach the core of your magic."

Harry entered himself and found the same magical tendril as before. He followed it and reached his core quickly. The magic was just as brilliant as before, and mesmerized his just as much, and Harry doubted he would ever get over how magnificent this was. Once he had found it, Merlin continued.

"Before you is incrementum veneficus. You must divide the magic into the different sections we talked about, and pull out a tendril of phylacterium veneficus (the charms magic)."

Harry wasn't sure of what exactly to do, and decided that following his instincts would be the best course of action. He focused on the magic and slowly he saw different sections appearing. He willed an orange tendril to draw out from his core. On his third attempt, a tendril pulled out.

"Once you have the magic, I want you to grasp it firmly and exit your trance. **Do not lose the magic**. When you are fully alert again, I want you to cast _wingardium leviosa _on me."

Harry did as Merlin told, but just as he had left his trance, he dropped his hold on the magic. _He makes it seem so much easier than it really is._ Having no other option, he relaxed his mind again and tried to enter a trance. Ten minutes later, he was in his core, and had drawn out the magic. He took a deep breath and exited his trance, holding the magic as tightly as he could. He did it! He had kept the magic! In his joy of having completed it, he accidentally dropped it again.

"Don't worry. Relax and try again. It might take some time." In truth, Merlin had trouble keeping his amazement out of his voice. He had _actually_ managed to exit the trance with the tendril still with him. Sure, he had dropped it after, but that wasn't the point. Merlin knew that this boy would be performing amazing feats of magic without even realizing it. His potential was, amazing! Even after Merlin had seen him break the bonds on his magic so easily, he hadn't expected _this_. After all, it had taken _himself_ an entire day to get to where Harry was.

During Merlin's contemplations, Harry had already reached his inner core again, pulled out the magic, and exited his core, this time focusing entirely on the tendril and not letting his elation muddle his hard work. Once fully conscious, he pushed the orange strand towards the other wizard, yelling the incantation. Merlin soared fifty feet into the air before hitting the ceiling. When Harry noticed Merlin's predicament, he quickly let go of the magic.

This wasn't the smartest thing to do, as it caused Merlin to begin a fifty-foot downfall. Thankfully, Merlin had planned it through, and used a spell to slow his descent and land gracefully on his feet. A blush stained Harry's cheeks as he realized what he had almost done. Merlin hadn't been joking when he had said the wandless magic was more powerful!  
Despite the pounding in his head, Merlin smiled. His eyes shone with pride. When Harry saw that he wasn't angry, he smiled as well. He had done it! However, his elation was short-lived.

"I want you to try that again. This time faster, and without the yelling. I want you to be completely silent."

* * *

Two hours of intense work later found Harry literally dripping with sweat. He had covered charms (using objects Merlin had conjured rather than the old man himself) and moved onto transfiguration without yelling the incantation before Merlin realized that Harry was exhausted and decided to give him a break.

"You should take a break now; I'll see you again tomorrow. You did much better than I had expected! Don't forget to practice during your waking hours, especially over how much power you pour into the spells. Control will come quickly with practice."

Harry didn't have time to question his words before his exhaustion took over.

* * *

Another chapter up! Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks to all those that reviewed my last chapter! They really meant a lot to me! I want your opinions (include them in your reviews): most of my chapters from now on will include a lot of training. Will this anger a lot of people, or do you enjoy his training? Please review and tell me what you think!

Review Responses:

**HellHound**: I'm glad that you're enjoying this!

**mysticruby**: Glad you liked the letter! I was worried that people wouldn't. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

**Harry/Ginnyfan4ever**: I spelled it right this time! Hope you liked this one too! More Ginny next chapter I promise.

**Dr. Gero**: Thanks! I really appreciate it! I like Quality too (so if you happen to see any mistakes, please point them out). It never even occurred to me to have Parseltongue spells! The idea is totally awesome, and I would love to have it in my story (because I love Parseltongue too) but I don't think it will be possible since he doesn't speak with wandless magic... Don't worry, I'll figure out a way. The gears in my brain are already spinning! Thanks for the review!

**Lady of the Dragons2**: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! More Sirius and Ginny next chapter, I promise!

**andrea10**: Thanks! Hope you enjoyed!

**jeff**: thank you! Hope the rest of the story is too your liking as well!

**Cia1**: Thanks! Hope you enjoyed!

**Kungzoune**: Just when it was getting good! :D Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the training!

**Phoebe-H**: Thanks for not pressuring me! More Ginny and Sirius next chapter, I promise! Hope the training was everything you expected! Did you like the quote? Took me FOREVER to find it! lol Thanks again for all your help!

**Ted M. Hammett**: Glad to know that you're reading on. Hope this chapter was everything you expected! Don't worry; I don't plan to give up on this story any time soon. I'm so pleased to know that you think I have talent!

**Eternity of Twilight**: Thanks again! I didn't even notice my mistake until you pointed it out (obviously) and wouldn't have noticed it even had I read it over ten times. Which is why it is MY mistake! lol Don't worry, I don't find it rude at all! It's just constructive criticism! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

What you can expect next chapter: Harry reads Ginny's letter, some Sirius and more training, probably with Salazar! Please REVIEW and give me your opinions! I love constructive criticism, but flames will be shredded and put into my cat's litter box.

* * *


	6. Second Sight

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie (Lady Lyssa)

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Everything you do not recognize belongs to me! (That makes me feel so special :D)! If I were her, I would be writing the Half Blood Prince in a small café, rather than sitting here, typing on fanfiction!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

* * *

Second Sight

It is one of the strange ironies of this strange life that those who work the hardest, who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to achieve a goal, are the happiest people.

Brutus Hamilton

* * *

Harry awoke in the smallest bedroom of Number 4 Privet Drive with the noonday sun streaming through the windows. He was tired, but thankfully not as exhausted as he had been yesterday morning. He got out of bed, stretching lazily, before taking his glasses and hitting the shower.

Refreshed, he went downstairs and made himself a quick brunch before walking back up the stairs, two at a time. The clock in his room read 1 o'clock. Harry was about to reach into his trunk to take out _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade One)_ by Miranda Goshawk, when he remembered Merlin's last words: "Don't forget to practice during your waking hours, especially over how much power you pour into the spells."

_What is that supposed to mean?_ _How on earth was he supposed to train at home?_ Harry knew that Merlin wasn't crazy: if he said something, he meant it. Merlin knew about the age restriction on magic. _Can I now do magic without the Ministry noticing it?_ The more he thought about this, the more it made sense. Perhaps the Ministry could not detect wandless magic!

Then Harry remembered the incident the summer before his Second year. Dobby had used wandless magic, and the Ministry had detected it. Perhaps house elves could use wandless magic without getting caught, but by the same token could make their magic detected by the Ministry if they wanted to. Harry's mind was reeling with the great potential this information could have.

Harry had no choice but to ask Merlin about this tonight. In the meantime ... should he try some wandless magic? On one hand, he didn't want to risk it and have the Ministry breathing down his back like last summer, but on the other hand, he _had_ used wandless magic (albeit accidentally) on the lamp post. He had yet to receive a letter from the Ministry, which further proved his point. He would have to trust Merlin on this one.

Resolving that he would have to adjust to casting wandless spells by standing rather than sitting down comfortably sooner or later, Harry remained standing as he calmed himself and entered a trance. He reached his core in record time. Pulling on his orange branch of magic, he was intent of casting the _Wingardium Leviosa_ on his bed. However, unlike the last few times, he did not draw on as much of the magic, hoping that this would decrease the power of the spell, and save his energy.

He cast the spell onto the bed, intending to make his hand direct its flight. However, it did not work, and the bed simply soared into the air and hit his ceiling. Harry had managed to stop it in time, and only a small dent was made before he could lower the bed slowly.

Harry sighed. How was he supposed to gain control? Resolving himself to a long day of practice, he entered another trance and began again.

* * *

Harry groaned. He had been working non-stop for nearly two hours. He sat on his bed, drenched with sweat. This was not as easy as it looked! He had managed to _slightly_ lower the amount of magic he put into the _Wingardium Leviosa_ spell, and was gaining a bit more control, but when he tried other spells, he still used too much magic. He had tried casting a color-changing spell on a portion of ceiling. However, it resulted in a florescent room of over twenty different colors on the ceiling _and_ all four walls before he had changed it back! This was never going to work...

The wind was picking up outside, and when he turned around to see, he was forced to squint his eyes and do a double take. In all of his training, he had failed to notice it. The outside world swam in a sea of colors. As the wind passed by, he saw the indigo tempestus veneficus swim by. All living plants, from the trees and shrubbery to the grass, glowed intense shades of green. Harry saw a muggle walking his dog; both sporting a faint, white aura. He was amazed. _How hadn't he noticed this before?_

Harry gazed, entranced, at the view for nearly a half-hour. A flock of birds flitted past his window, their white auras moving to the same beat as their flapping wings. Indigo-colored clouds floated above him lazily. Several white-auraed children walked past, holding their mothers' hands. One stopped, and plucked an acorn from a tree. Harry gasped as he saw the glow in the nut disappear. The child's mother apparently told him not to play with it, and he threw it without a moment's hesitation and joined the rest of the group. He watched the acorn get carried by the wind, before falling to the ground, several meters away. As it hit the grass, it glowed green again, its inner seeds coming back alive to plant a new tree. Amazing! Was this the Second Sight Merlin was talking about?

Harry saw a bright white beam of light approaching him. He opened his window and stood aside to allow Hedwig access. She flew to her water-bowl inside her cage and drank the liquid greedily. She was visibly tired, and rightfully so, for she had traveled a long distance. Once appeased, she flew to his shoulder, allowing him to untie the attached letters.

He took the first, which had Ron's messy scrawl on the front. Harry shrugged, wondering why Ron simply hadn't sent the letter with Pig. He opened the letter and read:

_Dear Harry,_

_Everything's going great here too, except for Percy that is. He came back just last night, begging to 'be forgiven'. Something about 'acknowledging his mistake, and apologizing because he had been wrong, but that it had been his duty to stand by the Minister', or something ridiculous along those lines. I can't believe his insolence. _

_If Mum and Dad weren't so happy about the whole thing, I would have hexed him till next week. Just my opinion. Bill and Charlie stopped by as well. They seem to have forgiven him for the most part. Fred and George are the only ones that seem to be thinking along the same lines as me. Thank Merlin I'm not the only one. Don't worry, we're not hexing him ... too much. Ginny seems undecided, and particularly more quiet than usual. Who can understand women? _

Harry was uncertain: what Percy had done was horrible, abandoning his family like that. But did that make what Ron, Fred and George were doing okay? He would have to think about it.

_Speaking about Gred and Forge,_ _business is booming for them! Mum seems to be pleasantly surprised, even though she still doesn't entirely approve of the whole situation._

_And about last year mate, apology accepted. We could have a bit more understanding as well. No hard feelings? And speaking about the Department of Mysteries, I have to say that I have been getting more headaches than usual. I might be imagining it, but I asked Hermione to research it for me anyway if she had the time._

Harry hadn't thought about what the brains had done to him, and the plausible side-effects. Then again, he had been a little preoccupied at the time...

_About the Order, we haven't been able to discover much (now that they know about the Extendable Ears), and what we have overheard from our parents I cannot relay back to you in case someone else takes the letter. Sorry mate. I know you want to be in the loop, but there isn't much I can do about that. What I do know, and can tell you, is that they will be taking you away soon._

_Hope to see you soon._

_Your friend,_

_Ron_

Harry sighed. He had figured that he wouldn't get that much information, but this was even less than he had expected. He also noticed that Ron had strayed far from the topic of Sirius, which annoyed him for some reason. Frustrated, he felt emotions from last summer come forth again. He couldn't _believe_ that he was still being left in the dark. He had done _so much_ already!

Before he could do anything about it, a beam of red light shot out from him and blasted his bed into smithereens. _Uh oh!_ Wandless magic was obviously keyed to the emotions, and he was having a lot of trouble containing his. Staring at the empty space in his room that used to contain his bed, he sighed. This could cause many problems. Deciding to worry about his bed later (He didn't want to tell the Order that he had blown up his bed, because that would mean telling them about his new powers. He wasn't ready to do that just yet. The more he had thought about it, the more keeping quiet had made sense. He did not want to risk Voldemort learning about his powers, because that would mean giving up one of his only elements of surprise.) He grabbed the next letter of the pile.

Harry recognized Hermione's neat and steady handwriting at once. He didn't open the letter as eagerly as he had opened Ron's, not expecting much more information:

_Dear Harry._

_Everything is going good! It's great to be able to see my parents again. They still don't know about the war, and I know that I'm going to have to break it to them soon. It's only fair for me to do so before school starts. However, I am terrified as to what their reactions might be, and am really not looking forward to it. _

_I accept your apologies. Ron and I should have been more sympathetic towards you._

_As for the Daily Prophet: so far, so good. They haven't mentioned you very often, and when they do, it is not associated with a lunatic! I know that Skeeter's time is almost up, and I do believe that she will have learned her lesson (especially with my threat of exposure hanging over her head)._

_I'm not bored because of the lack of homework. I decided instead to re-read all of our textbooks – _

How ironic of her.

– _and to go over our course-notes. I suggest that you and Ron do the same._

Little did she know.

_Have you received your OWLs yet? I simply cannot wait until I get mine! Write back soon._

_Your friend,_

_Hermione_

Again, not much information, but it did bring to light the problems Hermione would have with her parents. He had never really thought about it, truth be told. He also noticed that she, too, did not mention Sirius.

At that exact moment, a white ball of fury flew into Harry's room, flying around in circles. Hedwig hooted indignantly and flew back to her perch, trying to show off how well-mannered she could be, compared to the flying menace that had just flown in, also known as Pig.

Seeing the now-vacated shoulder, Pig flew down and perched himself comfortably, sticking out his leg to allow Harry to take the letter. Curious, he took the offered letter, freeing the owl of its burden. Pig flew over to Hedwig's perch and began to drink water. Hedwig was obviously displeased, but kept quiet.

Harry opened and read Ginny's letter, written in her usual elegant script. Now he knew why Ron had been forced to send his letter via Hedwig. After reading the letter, Harry was no less than shocked. Ginny had been completely upfront about Sirius, rather than beating around the bush like the others had done. She had brought up many valid points, and he admired the courage it must have taken her to say some of those things.

Harry was beginning to realize that she wasn't just Ron's little sister anymore. She had a sense of humor, was intelligent, and always stated what was on her mind. He really admired this about her. She was right, she _was_ no longer the little girl she used to be.

This, however, was not the thing that had struck him the most as unusual. The fact that she had used the word Voldemort, even if it was in writing, was astounding! He wondered what had overcome her, and would have to ask in his response to her. She had definitely matured!

He wrote Ginny's and Ron's responses, and sent Pig off when he was finished. He then wrote Hermione's and sent Hedwig off as well. With that done, he focused on more pressing matters. What to do about his bed, or lack thereof...

* * *

"Harvey, you almost done?"

"Hold your horses already. You aren't the one who got assigned to cleaning up the mess in the Brain Room. I can't _believe_ that one of them escaped! Do you know how much work it took to settle it down again? How could they not have noticed sooner? It's been at least a month," Harvey ranted as he worked.

"Please hurry though, and **do not forget** my invisibility cloak like you did yesterday. I really want it back!"

It took Harvey nearly another twenty minutes to finish his work, before he went down to join the other Unspeakable. The two walked away, the invisibility cloak far from both their minds, which lay forgotten on the Department of Mysteries' floor.

* * *

Sirius walked out of the room, his hand wrapped around his wand in case of emergency. As he passed by the Brain Room on his way out, he noticed a shining material on the floor. Curious as ever, he walked towards it.

Grinning madly as he recognized the invisibility cloak, he slipped it on. Fate was often said to work in mysterious ways...

Sirius walked out of the Department of Mysteries unnoticed. However, he was stuck. There were anti-apparition wards set around the Ministry of Magic, so apparating was out of the question. How was he supposed to get into a lift unnoticed? Even with an invisibility cloak on, it would appear very strange for a lift to stop on a random floor to pick up an invisible passenger! Way not to be noticed!

As luck would have it (the Fates seemed to favor him today) a late-night caretaker had just finished his rounds of the floor, and was awaiting the lift so he could get home. _Here I was, wondering if I would have to blast my way out of here!_

He entered the lift, unnoticed by its other occupant. They made their way down to the lobby, where Sirius simply followed the other man, hoping he wouldn't get noticed. _Uh oh!_ He had to pass a magic detector on his way out. He remembered from his auror training (the one time in his life that he had actually paid attention in class!) that all major magical centers were equipped with a new model every year. It could 'see' through invisibility cloaks, which was one of its main functions. What was he supposed to do now?

Sirius' thoughts were interrupted by the security guards' voice.

"The MagiDetector 2000 is down again. Apparently the new model we were shipped has some charm defects. We've been having problems all week. Could you check it out tomorrow?"

"No problem. I'll fix it first thing tomorrow morning."

Sirius couldn't help the smile that graced his face at these words! He quickly followed the other man out. He was free at last!

* * *

Harry stood in front of the area that used to contain his bed, deep in thought. Conjuring items was Seventh Year material. What on earth was he supposed to do? Resigning himself to the fact that this was not a problem that could be solved by wizarding means, he went downstairs and grabbed a few pillows and blankets from the cupboard under the stairs (a.k.a his previous bedroom). When he passed by the Dursleys, he noticed with a start that they, too, had a white aura surrounding each of them. Harry quickly ran up the stairs, trying not to fall to the floor with laughter! How ironic the situation was! Little did they know...

Harry placed the pillows and blankets he had retrieved on the floor and went to sleep, hoping that he wouldn't be _too_ sore when he awoke the next morning.

* * *

A/N: Another chapter up! I know that there wasn't a lot of action, but this was more of an intermediary chapter between two training ones, which have most of the action. Hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Thanks to all those that reviewed my last chapter! They really meant a lot to me! Sorry that this chapter is a little bit shorter than I had expected. I had planned to include his training with Salazar, and I know several of you were looking forward to it! I promise it will be in my next chapter, you have my word for it! Hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Review responses:

**Lady of the Dragons2**: Hope you enjoyed Sirius! I know it wasn't a lot, but I'm not ready for him to meet Harry! More training next chapter! Glad to know that I won't bore you with it. Thanks for the review.

**mysticruby**: Thanks for the review! Glad to know you enjoyed the chapter!

**Dr Gero**: Yes, the magic names are in Latin. Not nature magic, but rather weather magic, will enable him to create storms and such. Glad you liked the quot!. It is often difficult to find one that matches the chapter, and I spend a long time finding one, so it is nice to be appreciated! Thanks for the review! Glad you enjoyed the training; more will come next chapter!

**Addax**: I love training scenes too! Glad to know that I won't bore you with them! Sorry that Salazar didn't make an appearance into this chapter! He'll be there next time, and I promise that it will have been worth the wait (in my opinion, because I don't know whether or not you will enjoy it, but I do think you will). Thanks for the review!

**Dobbiesweet**: Thanks for the review! Glad to know that you like training! Your comments made me blush! Thank you so much for saying that this story is one of the most exciting you've read recently! And in my opininion the real action hasn't even started yet!

**Eternity of Twilight**: Glad you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for the review! Salazar will act like Snape in some respects, but he won't be as mean! Sorry if this disappoints you, but that isn't how I picture my Salazar! He will be a very interesting character however! Of that you can be assured. XD

**Fangfoot**: Thanks for the review!

**Lina Thanatos**: Thanks for the review! Why did you find her letter annoying? It wasn't perfect, but I did like how it turned out. Perhaps if you explain why, I can prevent it in future chapters!

**andrea10**: Thanks for your review! I'm so pleased to know that you enjoyed the wandless magic! It did take a long time to write, and I'm happy you enjoyed it!

**Harry/Ginnyfan4ever**: Thanks for the review, milady. backs away slowly as she says this, so as not to get hit by the dancing Dirgie who seemed to have had a few too many Butterbeers and is now doing an insane war dance around the room Have fun dancing!

**Blue-skies**: Glad you liked how I switched points of view! You were the first person to mention it! Thanks for the review! I will try not to make the switching back and forth seem arbitrary!

**totallystellar**: Thanks for the review! Glad you like my grammar and writing style!

**Little Marauder**: blushes I can't believe you think that this is one of the best stories ever! I had hardly expected many reviews, let alone this! Thanks for the review! It definitely lifted my spirits!

**Tanydwr**: Thanks for the review! Glad you like my story!

Hope this chapter was what you expected! Next chapter will be all training, I promise! As well as some more of the Fates! Please REVIEW! Your reviews lift my spirits and improve my writing!

Constructive criticism rocks, but flames will be shredded and put into my cat's litter box. (For those of you that don't know, I have a small Tonkinese kitten! He is so cute!)

FlyingPixie

* * *


	7. Never Judge a Book by its Cover

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie (Lady Lyssa)

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Everything you do not recognize belongs to me! (That makes me feel so special :D)! If I were her, I would be writing the Half Blood Prince in a small café, rather than sitting here, typing on fanfiction!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

(If anyone recognizes the quote, it is because it is the one from my last chapter. I made a mistake and put the wrong one. Chapter Six now has a new quote, if anyone wants to check it out. Sorry for the inconvenience).

A special thanks goes out to Lourdes1, who reminded me that elevators are known as lifts in the UK! Thanks!

* * *

Never Judge a Book by its Cover

How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but also within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light.

Barry Lopez

* * *

Merlin walked into the large, domed hall. Bright sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the majestic abode of Fate, as it always did. Currently, two of the three sisters were hard at work in the room. Lachesis was sewing the ends of the enormous Tapestry of Life that hung on the wall. Atropos held a pair of scissors in her hands, cutting the threads that needed to be cut. Her scissors were the sharpest in existence, for she alone could cut the threads of life. Merlin assumed that Clotho was off collecting the Fabric of Life.

The sisters made no movement to indicate that they had sensed his presence, which he did not doubt they had, but simply continued to work and waited for him to make the first move. From his viewpoint, he noticed that they both wore identical grins: they knew why he was here.

"What have you done to Harry?"

Lachesis sewed her last thread, put down the basket she had been holding, and walked up to him. Atropos similarly completed her tasks and made her way towards him.

"What makes you think we've done anything at all?" Atropos asked, though she already knew the answer.

"You know perfectly well what I mean! What did you do?" This was by no means the first time that Merlin had visited Fate's abode. Their history went far back, for Merlin visited them even when he had been alive. And people wondered how he could predict the future... The four had developed a friendly nature around one another, and Merlin had no qualms about being blunt with them!

"What do you mean precisely? We've done many things to him," Lachesis smiled. The sisters were having too much fun to let this one go.

Merlin sighed, "How did Harry manage to break his bonds so quickly? That boy is powerful, no doubt about that, but that was ridiculous. He could not be have that much power after I blocked off so much of it. What did you do?" He repeated his question, hoping to receive a clear answer. It had always angered him that he coudl never really get his way with the sisters. And one as powerful as him was used to always getting his way.

"Alright. We cast a – minor – spell on Harry, since we knew he would attract trouble at an early age. We enabled the bonds on his magic to lessen. This allowed some of his excess powers seep through, whenever he was in danger or performing a difficult task that would require more magic than he possessed." The sisters' smiles only grew: they loved playing around with spells that Merlin had cast. His annoyance only increased their joy.

"MINOR? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT COULD HAVE DONE?"

It was at this moment that Clotho appeared. She wore a long, flowing blue gown that played around her ankles. She carried a basket of pure life-force, the substance she would at a later date spin into the Threads of Life.

"What did we do now?" the youngest sister asked.

"You toyed with Harry's magic, that's what! He could have seriously hurt someone if the magic had gone out of control." Merlin knew that he was being foolish, and that they probably looked into the matter to make sure he wouldn't have caused harm, but it always angered him when someone, no matter who it was, toyed with his spells. Especially when they were there for good reason.

"Come on Merlin. You know why we did it. How else would he have survived his encounter with Riddle in his Fourth year? He won with will-power and the support of his parents, but without the extra magical boost he would never have been able to hold on that long." Used to his temper, they did not heed his words as a personal insult to them. He would cool off eventually. He always did.

With a quick good-bye, Merlin apparated away. _At least now I know where Harry got his powers.  
_

* * *

Harry opened his eyes, but quickly shut them again. The light emanating from the Dream World had blinded him. _This could become a definite problem._ Resigning himself to having to deal with the problem sooner or later, Harry opened his eyes slowly, giving his eyes time to adjust. When the light once again became too bright for comfort, he closed his eyes again. He opened them slowly once more, only closing his eyes when they had started to water from the brilliancy.

Harry repeated the process several more times for a few minutes, until his eyes had adjusted for the most part, and he was now able to distinguish different objects in the room. When he looked down at himself, he did a double take, realizing for the first time that he didn't shine like everything else. Why couldn't he see his own magic? He could see it when he cast spells, couldn't he? Another question to the ever-growing list of questions that he would have to ask Merlin.

It was at this precise moment that his mentor walked into the room. Merlin signaled Harry to walk over, eyes twinkling. His previous ire had quickly been replaced with intense amusement when he found out what his young charge had done to his bed...

Not wishing to bring up that particular subject just yet, Harry decided to voice one of his other questions.

"How can I now do magic without detection from the Ministry? Is it because the magic is wandless."

Merlin nodded, "I apologize that I did not leave time to explain yesterday. Your hypothesis is exactly correct. Wandless magic is untraceable by the Ministry. The sole reason for this is that the Ministry locates magic and is able to pinpoint the exact wizard who cast the spell only by the wand. Each wand (when legally sold of course) is registered in the Ministry records. They have multiple, very powerful, spells that trace the magical residue left behind from spells back to the wand that cast it."

"Does this mean that, if I were to use someone else's wand, then the spell would be traced back to them, not me?" Harry asked.

"Yes it does. This is one of the faults in this system, which is why they do not advertise their method of tracking openly."

Harry nodded, then remembered his other question.

"How can I see magic, and why can I not see my own? Is this called Second Sight?"

Merlin smiled. The boy had had enough faith in him to practice at home. In order to see magic for the first time, you had to have the necessary ammount of power, and then have used it (i.e. practicing spells out of the Dream World). Harry was also asking all of the right questions. Merlin often purposefully 'forgot' to mention important facts to his charges, allowing them to either discover things on their own or ask the right questions. He found they learned better this way. Arthur had been especially exceptional at this... Pulling back from his reminiscence, Merlin answered the young wizard's question.

"Yes, this is part of your Second Sight abilities, but by no means all of it. You will learn all about your Second Sight abilities soon enough. There is no real reason why you cannot see your own, other than the fact that it is a part of you. You can see it, however, when you cast spells, because it has left your body."

"Is there any way to stop me from seeing the magic? It's giving me a headache," Harry asked, already dreading the answer, but hoping for the best.

"Unfortunately, no, there isn't."

When Merlin saw Harry's face fall, he added, "Do not worry. I promise that you will get used to it soon enough. This is a very powerful gift. You mustn't undermine the advantages you carry because of it."

Harry perked up a bit at that, his mind already reeling with this information. He could use it to his advantage in a duel... Harry then remembered his dilemma: what was he supposed to do about his bed? How best to phrase the question?

"MerlinIneedanewbedbeacauseIblewuptheotherone."

Merlin's eyes twinkled ferociously as Harry's cheeks flushed. This was so embarrassing.

"What did you ask Harry?" Merlin asked sweetly, knowing the answer full well but wanting to see his charge ask his properly.

Drawing on his Gryffindor courage, Harry asked his question again.

"I blew up my bed yesterday –"

"And how did you do that, pray tell." Merlin wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"– because I lost control of my emotions. I need your help to conjure a new bed."

Merlin pretended to deliberate on the problem, as if he hadn't already thought up of a solution.

"Conjuring is way above your level, so we won't be learning that for a while. In the meantime I will conjure a bed for you, and you can use that in the meantime."

"You can conjure a bed and have it appear in my room? No offense meant of course."

"None taken. Even if I have – passed away, I can still use my powers to conjure a bed through this Plane and into the next. It takes a lot more magic to phase the object through Planes than normal conjuring takes, but nothing I can't handle! Now, if there are no more questions, Salazar will be teaching you first today."

Merlin led an extremely nervous Harry to the lower levels of the Dream World. The walk passed in silence; Harry being too nervous to speak. He sincerely hoped that Salazar wasn't like Snape. Then again, from the rumors...

* * *

Merlin opened the door to a large, dank room.

"Here you are."

Merlin apparated away, leaving Harry feeling like he was entering the lion's den naked. Then again, he reminded himself, there had been one who had gone into the lion's den before, and tamed the lions (he used to listen to Aunt Petunia's attempts at teaching Dudley the bible). Pulling on his reserve of Gryffindor courage, he stepped inside the dungeon boldly.

While the chamber should have been extremely dark, with only a few flickering candles in the room casting eerie shadows, Harry was almost blinded by the light emanating from the room. Trying to adjust to the new light, he looked around. Potion ingredients lined all four walls of the room, and each bottle glowed brighter than the last. He saw a tall man working on a desk at the back of the room. Another table stood beside him, cauldron already heating up.

* * *

Salazar pushed his work aside and looked up to see the young man enter the room. _This is going to be interesting,_ he thought ruefully to himself. He was curious to see how this one would turn out. _Hopefully not full of himself. Fame does that to most people. _

Salazar looked into Harry's eyes. He often said that the best way to judge a man was by looking into his eyes. Harry's eyes showed much previous pain and suffering, and a very recent wound that had nowhere near closed yet. At the same time, however, he saw sparks of fierce determination light the boys emerald orbs.He saw no hint whatsoever of pride in his eyes. _Yes_, he thought to himself, _this is definitely going to be interesting._

_Hopefully he wouldn't be as closed-minded as some of the other 'charges' Merlin brought to me. Perhaps this one won't judge me by what books said._

"Come to the front, where I can see you, and we shall begin." Salazar watched the boy closely as he walked up resolutely towards the green-clad man. "Your lessons with me will improve your potions skills. When this is satisfactory, we shall move on to some darker spells that you will neither be taught at school, nor by Gryffindor."

Harry's eyes flashed.

"Dark spells? Aren't I here to defeat Voldemort?" This would be interesting. Like so many others, he had chosen to hear 'dark spells' rather than 'darker spells'. The change in word would make all the difference.

"Yes, and you must learn to fight fire with fire!"

"If I stoop to his level, then I become no better than him." A very valid point.

"Define dark spells." Salazar's question seemed to take Harry aback. He watched the boy intently as he thought about the question. _Well done. He's thinking about this, and not just answering bluntly, with the usual 'they're evil spells' he had heard oh so many times in the past._

"Dark spells are spells that harm others for the sake of harm alone. There is no logical reason to use these spells, and most people who do enjoy harming people. I refuse to use these."

"Do you? Are you not willing to use say – an Unforgivable curse if the need arose?" He could see by Harry's reaction that he had struck a nerve with that one. However, the younger man did not back down, and accepted the challenge. Salazar respected that.

"I regret what I did, or rather what I tried to do, and I will never do so again."

"If you say so. Getting back to our original point, I will not teach you to use dark spells, merely darker spells than what you are used to. Before I can do this however, I must change how you view dark spells. You mustn't be like so many others who sees all spells in two categories: white and black. It is not the spell, but rather the reason for the spell, and its effect that makes the difference."

Salazar could see that he had Harry's attention. He continued.

"For example, would you generally classify the _Wingardium Leviosa_ spell as a 'good spell' or a 'bad spell'?"

"A good spell," Harry answered, not getting the point Salazar was trying to make.

"What if Voldemort used this spell to launch muggles hundreds of feet into the air, only to release the spell and have them begin a freefall descent to their deaths? Wouldn't it then be a 'bad' spell?"

A bit of an exaggeration on his part, of course, but Salazar had always been proud of this example. He continued.

"And about the Unforgivables, classified by most to be 'extremely dark spells'. What if the Imperious Curse was used on someone who was afraid of heights, to force them to walk on a high platform, in order to help him conquer his fear? Or what if the Avada Kedavra curse was used on a very sick patient who was suffering needlessly from a disease that had no cure? Would you want them to suffer, or would you cast the Avada Kedavra curse to end their pain in mere seconds?"

"I never thought about it that way. I can see the point you are trying to make. So I won't be learning dark spells, but simply ones that the Ministry has deemed unfit for many to learn because of their dangerous consequences, but which I can use to my benefit, without harming anyone needlessly?"

Salazar smiled (which was a rare feat in and of itself). Thank Merlin (literally) that this one actually had some brains.

"Some of the curses will cause harm; I will not guarantee anything else. I do not expect you to start using these curses in friendly duels, or even against an enemy **unless the need seriously outweighed the effects of the curse**. If the only way you could defeat Voldemort would be to use one of these curses, causing harm, would you? If it were either that or Voldemort's reign."

Harry was slightly hesitant before answering, but when he did his voice was loud and clear. "I would use the curses you teach me to the best of my ability if such a dire need arises that I will need to use them in order to save millions of innocent lives." Salazar nodded, pleased with his answer. However, it was time to work now.

"Let's start with the Aconitum Potion, a variant of the normal Poison Potion. It is much more lethal than normal, because of the frozenWyvern blood inside. It is not an extremely difficult potion to brew, but does require much concentration and time, which is why this variant is rarely used."

Seeing that Harry was up to the challenge, he handed him a list of the necessary ingredients, and the steps needed to complete the potion. "The dry ingredients can be found on the back shelves. The Wyvern blood can be found in my personals stores down in the cellar, which requires extremely low temperatures so as not to thaw. Unfortunately, any spells used on the blood diminishes its effects, therefore I cannot simply freeze it with magic. I shall get this while you begin. I expect satisfactory work from you while I am gone.."

* * *

Harry walked to the back of the room; picking up various potion ingredients and bringing them carefully back to the desk he would be working at. While he collected the items on the list, he contemplated what he had learned thus far from Slytherin. _He is definitely _not_ what I had expected!_

Harry decided he would definitely give the other man a chance, perhaps at the same time learning some of the secrets he held. Why had he built the Chamber of Secrets? Salazar did not _seem_ evil. Putting the mystery aside for another day, he concentrated on the task before him. By the time Salazar had returned with the blood, he had already assembled all of the ingredients and had begun the first few steps of the potion.

As Harry brewed the potion (which was not as hard as he had thought it would be, especially now that he didn't have Snape breathing down his neck), Salazar described the effects of the potion, when it was used, and the history of the potion. He never commented on how Harry was doing, and only interfered when he saw the other making a mistake. Harry smiled internally as he added three pinches of powdered Violet Corprinus. This could definitely be interesting...

* * *

A/N: Hey! Another chapter up! Hope you all enjoyed it! Don't you all love Salazar... I'm surprised that no one had commented on the fact that Harry seemed too powerful in the third chapter! Oh well... there's the reason! Thanks to all those that reviewed my story! I love you all. The encouragement to keep on writing really helps! I baked a special plate of chocolate-chip cookies just for you!

author hands out virtual cookies to greedy fans

Anyone who can take me away from the Sims 2 (only the best computer game of all time!!!) to write this fic is a miracle worker in my eyes! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Review responses (from now on I will only respond to those of you who had questions or comments):

**Lady of the Dragons2**: Sirius will come soon, I promise! So will Ginny! Hope you like this chapter though!

**Dr. Gero**: Harry will eventually get used to seeing the magic, yes. He will eventually tell his friends, but it will be a while. Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed that I brought Sirius back, especially since one of my first reviewers seemed mad about that! He will go straight to Harry of course, no worries! Thanks for the warning. However, I won't stop just because someone thinks it is funny to take down someone's hard work (is it illegal to write responses?). What is a Yahoo group? I've heard about it, but don't know what it entails! Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Harry/Ginnyfan4ever**: Excuse me, milady Beta! sheesh, some royal people can be a real pain Thanks for the review, more Ginny later!

**Eternity of Twilight**: Glad you found that he blew up his bed, because Harry sure didn't! Hope you enjoyed Salazar! Was it everything you expected? More? Less? Please review with your feedback! By the way, I've been meaning to ask: what does glomps mean?

**Tanydwr**: ??? What brain? I was talking about the brain from the Department of Mysteries that attacked Ron! Sorry if I confused you! Glad you enjoyed Ginny!

**Lina Thanatos**: backs away slowly from the crazed woman in front of her, who is carrying three poison darts, a straight sword and a Katana Couldn't decide, could you? I would have chosen the poison darts: fast and efficient. Anyway, thanks for the review! I didn't play the Sims 2 to get this out on time!

**Lily Evans82**: Did you get the chapter? If you did, I hope you enjoyed it!

**Lourdes1**: Thanks for the 4 reviews! Thanks for thinking I have enough talent and original ideas to write away from fanfiction! To tell the truth, I wanted to be an author when I was in elementary school, but am now leaning towards medicine! Sirius woke up in the Dept. of Mysteries because that is where he died. He fell through the veil to the Medius Plane, and Fate brought him back through the Medius Plane to the veil! Did that clear it up? Thanks for the hint about the lifts! I changed my chapter!

**DaBear**: He blew it up! lol Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Blueskies**: Hope you enjoyed how part of this chapter was in Salazar's point of view! Thanks for the review, it meant a lot to me! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**artdam**: Sorry for the confusion. So far, he hasn't spent very much time there, as the council still wants him to adjust to his new schedule. The increased time will become more apparent in later chapters! He will never spend days, however, because he can only spend a maximum of about three hours normal time in the Dream Plane, which makes up for about one day, no more! Don't worry, the romance between Harry and Ginny will blossom over time, not just happen out of the blue! I also hate it when stories do that, and will try my best to avoid it! You will learn more about the others later... Merlin blocked Harry's powers because as a baby he wouldn't have had any control over them, and could either have seriously hurt someone around him, or even died himself (which is what happens to most wizards who have too much power, and can't control it at a young age). You will find out more about Tom's plans and Order meetings later on!

PhoebeH: Thanks for the review! The Sims is like real life... so in no way would I let Harry sleep on the floor forever! He would become too cranky! lol Randomness rules! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for your help! Not that I listened to what you said...

Hope you enjoyed! The rest of the training next chapter! With Kael, Nedra and Helga! And maybe some Voldemort if you're lucky!

FlyingPixie

* * *


	8. Gravitational Pulls

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie (Lady Lyssa)

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Everything you do not recognize belongs to me! (That makes me feel so special :D)! If I were her, I would be writing the Half Blood Prince in a small café, rather than sitting here, typing on fanfiction! The idea of Nedra's training comes partly from DBZ.

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

I would like to say, once and for all, that all ideas that do not come from J.K Rowling's books are my own, unless stated in the disclaimer. In my reviews, I had someone point out that I had taken one of my ideas (the one about spells either being good or bad) from another fic (one, I would like to point out, that I have not even read!). Please, a spell being good or bad is not an idea. Its a way of thinking. Just for the record, I had planned to use that in my fic for the longest time, and came up with it myself. Perhaps we think alike! Now, on to the story...

* * *

Gravitational Pulls

_Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me._

- Chinese Proverb

* * *

Hogwarts' current Potions Master sat at his desk, staring in disbelief at the marks before him. _How can it be? There has to be an explanation._ For the umpteenth time that very day, he flipped the exam over and re-read it. _There has_ got _to be a good explanation._ Suddenly, without warning, the mark on his left forearm began to burn. He hissed in pain and stood up, grabbed his mask, ready to Apparate; exams forgotten. He could still remember his fateful meeting with his 'Master', asking to once again be admitted into the Death Eater fold.

_(Flashback)_

_Snape apparated at once to Voldemort's hideout. A cold, biting wind blew ferociously around him as he walked towards the skeletal figure before him. His black robes billowing in the wind, he knelt down to his 'Master', head down as a sign of respect. His Master's rules had been well engrained into his head, if nothing more. Snape noticed that he was the only one who had been summoned. This was definitely not a good sign._

"_Severus. You have disappointed me greatly. Why have you not answered my previous summons? You are a traitor." Voldemort's snake-like voice, spoken barely above a whisper, was enough to make the bravest man quiver with fear. Now was the ultimate test. Would he believe him?_

_Snape crawled towards his Master and kissed the hem of his robes. How he desperately wished he could be anywhere but there at the moment. "My Lord, I apologize, for I was held-back. Dumbledore somehow managed to discover that I served you, my Lord. He did not mention who had told him. I had to sway the old fool, my Lord, until he believed that I was spying for the Light. It worked my Lord. The bumbling fool believes that I will leak your information to him, my Lord." Dumbledore and he had gone over the plan many times. Did he believe him?_

_Voldemort seemed to sense his fear, but as this was something he had come to expect from all his followers, he only smiled. When Snape looked up at the other being's pale, inhuman face, and red slits as eyes, he knew what was coming. Voldemort needed a Potions Master, and one of his caliber was hard to come by. However, there would still be a horrible price to pay. _

"_I am still disappointed Severus. You must learn to do better next time. Crucio." Snape tried to hold his screams in, but after several minutes his heart-wrenching screams could be heard for miles..._

* * *

Salazar led a thoughtful Harry up many winding corridors and staircases until they reached Nedra. Her chestnut hair was tied back in a long braid. She leaned against a wall, at ease with herself. She smiled as she saw the two approaching. The fact that Salazar had brought Harry here himself was a good sign: they had gotten along. Quite rare... Nedra smiled, lighting up her face. Salazar was a good friend of Kael. She trusted her husband, and she had learned to hold great respect for the green-clad man as well.

She nodded once, and Salazar, after a quick word to Harry, departed, leaving the two of them alone. She couldn't wait to see how this one handled things. She motioned for Harry to follow her. Opening the tall, mahogany door, she entered the training area, Harry close in tow.

* * *

"Be careful Harry." With these quick words of wisdom and a smile, Salazar left Harry and Nedra alone. Not understanding what he meant, Harry followed Nedra into the room. He had barely any time to examine his surroundings when a foot collided with his back and he was sent flying across the room. His body hit the opposite wall with a resounding smack!

"What a way to make an entrance Harry," Kael's deep voice could be heard. He had positioned himself right behind the door, and it was he that had lent to Harry's present predicament.

Not wanting to show the two how much that had hurt him, he stood up, entering the best defensive pose he could think of. Nedra's smile didn't help much either.

"Lesson one, be more aware of your surroundings! You have to always watch where you are going, and be aware of those around you. You can be attacked anywhere, anytime." This time, it was Nedra's soft voice that spoke. Her philosophy couldn't help but remind him of Moody.

Not five seconds later, Harry lay sprawled on the other side of the room. He had spent so much attention on Nedra that he hadn't noticed Kael sneak up behind him. For a large man, standing at 6'7", he sure moved silently!

"Tut tut! We were of the impression that you were smart. Fooled twice by the same trick! You have got to pick up on the lessons!"

Harry stood up, albeit not as quickly as before, and faced the two trainers from hell. They stood side-by-side, and Harry was happy that he had both in his line of vision. _This is definitely going to bruise tomorrow!_

During the several minutes of silence that ensued, Harry had a chance to look around (while still keeping one eye on his trainers). The room was the largest he had entered thus far. It had dark, blue walls, and a polished-wood floor. The room was not as bright as the Potion's lab had been, probably owing to the fact that there weren't too many magical items in the room.

Nedra was the first to break the silence, "Today, I will be your trainer." With a quick wave of her hand, Harry's attire changed from the usual robes he wore in this World, to a comfortable pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

"First off, catch me," Nedra said.

Kael apparated soundlessly away as, seconds later, Nedra was off running, braid waving behind her.

Shrugging, Harry set off after the older woman.

* * *

When Snape apparated, it was inside a large hall in which Voldemort conducted most of his meetings. The few hanging candles on the wall proffered the only source of light in an otherwise desolate, dark room. The shadows seemed animated and alive, dancing across the walls, adding to its morbid effect. The fire in the grate behind the skeletal figure provided neither warmth nor light, an odd thing. Snape knew from experience that this particular fire was enchanted to remove all warmth from a room, rather than emanate it. The ceramic tiles that covered the walls and floor were of the darkest shade of black imaginable. In short, this was a perfect hall in Voldemort's eyes.

Snape joined the rest of the Death Eaters in a semi-circle. He bowed down before his Master, curious as to why they had been called. When the last few stragglers had arrived, and a few Crucio's had been given out, Voldemort officially called the meeting to order.

"Death Eaters, rejoice, for I have found the second key that will enable me to reach my full potential and attack Hogwarts once and for all! In addition to the Blood Raven crystal I obtained last spring, I now have the Chain of Saberitus."

Voldemort held the chain up for his followers to see. The chain in question was an elaborate, finely crafted piece of jewelry. From the fine, delicate, silver chain hung three ringlets. One blue, one red, and the center one purple. The three rings, which had originally shone brightly, were now dulled by Voldemort's immensely evil power.

Snape made a mental note to tell Dumbledore about this. _Is this chain can somehow help Voldemort attack Hogwarts...

* * *

_

Harry was out of breath, and had a major stitch on his right side. He had been running for twenty minutes, and was exhausted. Nedra, on the other hand, wasn't even out of breath. Harry had also noticed that, despite the great distance between the two runners, she hadn't put any effort into the competition, and had been jogging. Harry, on the other hand, had been running as fast as he could at the start (which still did not match Nedra) and had slowly tired as the race wore on. Harry had amazing agility and short-term rushes of speed, but was horrible in long-distance running of any kind. He had never conditioned his body properly.

To Harry's great dismay, every time Nedra had to turn around because she had reached a wall, he couldn't simply cheat by running across. The room, or so he thought, was magicked so that he had to follow the same path that she had taken in order to catch her. This essentially meant that she could pass him, and he would have to do several laps to catch up!

Having no choice but to give in, Harry stopped running. He bent over, panting, trying to regain his breath. The pain that racked through his body from Kael's kicks hadn't helped to solve any problems. Up ahead, Nedra doubled back to reach Harry.

"Don't worry. That was really great for your first try," Nedra motioned for Harry to walk alongside her, to alleviate the pain in his muscles. "However, I would like to know. Why didn't you catch me?"

Nedra's question startled him. _What is with everyone on this council and their bizarre questions? _"I couldn't catch up to you, because you are so much faster than I am." What an obvious answer.

"Why do you think I'm faster than you?"

"Because you've trained your body to get used to this type of running?" Harry's answer was more of a question, but Nedra overlooked the minor detail.

"Yes, that is exactly correct. We must condition your body as well. During a wizards' duel, you will have the advantage if you do not tire as easily."

With a wave of her hand, a portal appeared before them. Harry had to squint his eyes against the glaring light before him. The circular entrance had red lightning bolts zapping over its surface. Harry was confused: what did this have to do with anything?

"This, Harry, is a Portal, designed by Merlin and myself, which will allow you to train under harder circumstances than would be available under our normal environment. The Dream World is not very versatile, which is why we need the Portal to travel to a different, more versatile dimension. The draw-back of this Portal is that time does not travel faster in the other dimension, which is why it will not be used all the time."

"What do I have to do?"

"You will begin training in an environment with an elevated gravitational pull."

"Wouldn't that have serious draw-backs?" Harry asked, confused.

"No, another good things about the Portal. Your body will not suffer any of the side effects commonly associated with increased gravity. The only difference will be that your muscles will have to work much harder, and will thus become stronger."

Satisfied with that explanation, Harry was ready to go. At Nedra's signal, he walked into the Portal (she had assured him that the lightning was for effect alone). He stepped through the Portal... and into the same room as before. He had been expected something... he wasn't sure what, but definitely something more interesting. As he went through, he felt, and saw, the blue magic that indicated healing course through his body. His pain had been relieved!

Harry saw Nedra walk in behind him. It was then that he felt the dimensions' effects. He felt himself being pulled down, and it was more of a struggle than normal to hold himself upright.

"The gravity's current pull, in comparison to the Earth's pull, is only 1.5. I suggest you quickly get used to it, because the level will be raised every once and a while! In the meantime, try to walk properly."

Harry took a few tentative steps forward. He felt like a toddler learning to walk for the first time. His steps were slow and awkward, and weren't perfectly straight. After about twenty minutes, he had managed to walk properly.

"Great, now try to jog." Harry sighed. Nedra was not going to go easy on him. Pulling on his reserves of strength, he began a slow, steady jog, ignoring the pain shooting through his protesting legs.

Nedra set the pace as she ran alongside Harry, dispensing small bits of advice as they ran to improve his running and lessen the pain. After having done several laps of the room, she slowed them to a walk.

"That was very good. I'm glad you're getting the hang of this so quickly. Remember to loosen your shoulders like I told you too. This is enough for today, because your muscles still have to adjust to the change and I don't want to seriously injure them."

Harry smiled; glad that it was finally over. As interesting as it was, the increased gravity was killing his muscles. With yet another wave of the hand, Nedra waved another Portal.

Once through, Harry almost ran to the other side, his muscles having to adjust to the freedom of regular gravity. He danced for joy, his muscles happy not to have any thing to push against!

Nedra and Harry left the room. As they made their way towards Helga's room, they talked about various training routines that he could practice while awake, to strengthen his muscles even more.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for your reviews everyone! They really made my day! Or my week... Whatever! I can't believe I made 100! (FlyingPixie dances for joy around the room) I can't believe it! So quickly too!

I'm so sorry that this chapter had to be short, especially after breaking the first hundred, but my teachers thought it would be funny if I could have tons of homework on the week-end of Open House, which meant that my entire Saturday was taken up at school, in dress uniform (a kilt, tie, vest and white, long-sleeved shirt)! I was dying of heat. Not that I'm complaining or anything...

So, I was so worried that I wouldn't even have a chapter, let alone a short one, but I managed to finish my Science Lab, Religion Journal and Assignment, and English Response, decided not to do my French, and am procrastinating doing my History Notes, all for you guys! Hope you enjoyed it!

Now, on the review responses:

**Phoebe-H**: Thanks for the reviews! Glad you've enjoyed the story so far! Your reviews are so helpful to me! I will listen to you... eventually! Gotta love the randomness. As I always say: you have to be crazy to be an author!

**Harry/Ginnyfan4ever**:

FlyingPixie: Are you insulting royalty? I happen to be royal too by the way, and I don't enjoy this behavior! Butler! Bring her to the dungeons!

Butler: At once, milady. (drags a kicking and screaming girl to the dank dungeons of doom)

Harry/Ginny: You can't do this to me....

FlyingPixie: **laughing** Just watch me!

Glad you enjoyed the chapter!

**Lady of the Dragons2**: True, Harry is very powerful, but not as powerful as Merlin, who is the most powerful wizard of all time! And yes, there is a reason explaining Salazar's history! Dont' you worry! Thanks for the review!

**Dr. Gero**: An award goes out to you for giving me the longest review yet! You will see eventually, but the training does effect his body, despite the fact that he is sleeping (magic, such a great tool!)! I would feel bad for him otherwise. Then again... not all of those bruises would be real. For now, I will stick to what I have now. I might try the Yahoo! Group later on. Thanks for the review! And yes, he will learn Legilimency (by Nalani and Mandara).

**Potterluv123**: What is an update list?

**totallystellar**: Please read the A/N at the beginning of the chapter, because I was talking about you. I have not read the fic you spoke about. I am totally against stealing other people's hard work. Perhaps we had similar ideas? Great minds do think alike! Thanks for the review anyways.

**Tanydwr**: Okay! Once and for all: there are no escaping brains from Department of Mysteries. He was cleaning up the mess caused by Ron and the others! So ya, it was from the fifth book! Don't worry, I confuse myself too! Thanks for the review, and I hope it cleared everything up!

**Kattieluvsshoes**: Thanks for being my 100th reviewer! I can tell by your review that you read my chapter very well and looked at the inner meaning! lol Thanks for the review, and I hope to get some serious ones soon Kattie!

Thanks for all the reviews! Please review this chapter as well, I love feedback!

* * *


	9. Gifts a Plenty

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie (Lady Lyssa)

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Everything you do not recognize belongs to me! (That makes me feel so special :D)! If I were her, I would be writing the Half Blood Prince in a small café, rather than sitting here, typing on fanfiction!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

Please read the disclaimer before making any assumptions that I have taken my ideas from other sources. If I have, then it will be there. It has already happened that people have asked me if I have taken ideas from somewhere, only to later note that it was in my disclaimer! Thank you.

Sorry for the delay! Last weekend was killer. I had no free time whatsoever! Hope you enjoy! (I know this one is short, but the next one is longer, and will be up tomorrow)!

* * *

Gifts a Plenty

Gifts come from above in their own peculier forms.

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

* * *

Nedra paused in front of an intricately designed wrought iron door. In place of a usual doorknob stood an elegant medieval drop handle, with a decorative back-plate. Harry was intrigued by the 17th century entrance.

"This door will lead you directly into Helga's quarters. When you arrive home, there will be a surprise waiting. I expect you will use it. Now, if you will excuse me."

Without further ado, she turned around and walked briskly back the way they had just come; leaving Harry to wonder what that had been about. Shrugging, he pulled on the handle, and passed through the doorway. The interior held many small tables, which had beautiful silver candlesticks. Upon closer inspection he noticed that most were decorated with flowered bases: simple, yet beautiful at the same time. Others depicted scenes, from men on horseback to wizards fighting dragons. When Harry looked up he noticed hundreds of floating candles above him, much in Hogwarts' style. The candles, however, were not the room's only sources of light. A fireplace was located at the back of the room, whose enchanted flame (which glowed more than regular flames) gave off more light and warmth than the candles put together.

The rich, burgundy walls were lined with tapestries depicting knights in shining armor, and ladies in fancy gowns from the 12th century onwards. Much like their wizarding painting counterparts, the characters in these, too, were animated. The large hall had several doors and entrances that led into other rooms. Each door was similar, though not as large, as the one he had just entered. The door-less entryways had beautifully carved wooden frames, with floral patterns.

Beautiful, Savonnerie carpets from France decorated the floor. Some of these multicolored decors depicted garlands of flowers and musical instruments on cream-coloured and ochre backgrounds. Others depicted birds and other such picturesque scenes, most on red hued backgrounds.

"Hello Harry," said a very feminine voice, cutting off Harry's examination of the room.

Upon looking up, Harry was awestruck. He stood in awe when he saw Helga Huflepuff's rich form. Unlike Salazar, who wore simple, green robes that suited the modern time, Helga wore a beautiful gown typical of the medieval aristocrats. Her cotton dress had a gathered neckline, wide extended sleeves and a full skirt. Her over-bodice laced down the front of her dress and was decorated with embroidered ribbon trimmed with golden accents. The gown closed at the back with lacings, and was a rich ivory-yellow, beffitting her and her house perfectly.

Helga had a calm expression of thoughtfulness on her face as she looked at Harry. Though she was not of extreme beauty, she had a fair face. Her long, chestnut hair flowed past her shoulders unhindered, and her midnight blue eyes shone and lit up her face. The wonderful smile she wore graced her face and only aided in accentuating her features.

"Follow me please." Harry's speculations were cut short as he followed her into the first entry to the right. They walked along a corridor decorated similarly to the hall they had just left, and turned right again to enter a room similar to the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Crystalline white walls were covered in portraits of various healers, with golden nameplates underneath them. Several beds lined the far side of the room, and a potion's cabinet was found on the other. Harry noticed two rooms off to the side. One he presumed was a lavatory, the other holding more medicinal supplies.

"As you have already been informed, it is my duty to train you in the delicate arts of healing, as well as historical events that will help you understand more of the present situation. For today, I will simply be outlining the basic points of healing, and perhaps even begin with very basic healing methods." With this, she paused; making sure Harry was following her.

To her great annoyance, most, if not all, of Merlin's trainees brushed these subjects off, not deeming them to be worthy enough. Without equal participation by the student, she had not been able to get very far in her teaching. Try as she might, she had not been able to grasp their attention most of the time. To put it bluntly, Helga wasn't known for her assertiveness, and rarely raised her voice. _Rarely._ She sincerely hoped that this one wouldn't be like the others.

Harry, however, was completely enraptured in what she was saying, and showed a genuine interest to learn more.

"What type of healing will I be learning? Wandless style? Or simply learning which potions help cure which ailments?"

He seemed less interested in the second, but tried to keep an open mind. If his many trips to the hospital wing had taught him anything, it was not to take healing methods for granted. He could remember himself thanking the gods for Madame Pomphrey's amazing methods...

_Finally, genuine interest!_

"We will be covering both methods. We can go very far in your wandless healing capabilities if you work hard."

With shining emerald orbs, Harry nodded. He _would_ work his hardest. Anything to stop Voldemort.

Helga led Harry to the side of the room with the potion bottles. The rest of the lesson was spent briefly going over each potion: their effects and side effects, which ailments they cured, and whether or not they could be taken with other potions. She by no means expected him to remember all of the information, and her goal was simply for him to get a sense for each of the potions, and perhaps be able to name a few based on their colors.

As Helga pointed each potion out, Harry began to notice a general pattern. Whenever a potion was extremely powerful (and most often could not be used in conjunction with many other potions), they glowed with increasing brilliancy. He listened with rapt attention to everything she said, and tried to retain as much of the information as he possibly could.

Helga had just finished describing the effects of the last potion in her cabinet when, without warning, Harry felt an odd sensation course through his entire body. The feeling was hard to describe, almost as if he was being pulled back to the other world. He struggled to stay inside the room, but his struggles were hopeless. He managed a quick thank you and goodbye before he was whisked away into his bedroom at Privet Drive, where he remained sleeping for a few more hours before the sunlight, streaming through his curtain-less windows, would awaken him.

* * *

Harry opened one eye blearily, but immediately closed it from the barrage of light flowing from his window. The sun was _bright_ today, and he had the feeling that this was due to his new Second Sight abilities. He was glad that the increased gravity portal healed him every time he went through it, as his muscles didn't hurt too badly, and he was sorely tempted to stay in bed longer. _What? Bed?_ Harry opened his eyes widely, quickly adjusting to the light. He jumped out of bed, and were it not for his masculine dignity he would have jumped for joy. _He had a bed!_ Not only did he have a bed, but it was a large, four poster bed, similar in style to those at Hogwarts. _How did a bed this big manage to fit in his room?_ When Harry turned around, the biggest surprise faced him.

Dudley's room had now officially become the smallest bedroom of Number Four Privet Drive. Harry's room was _colossal_! It seemed as if his room had now become his own personal library. The walls were lined with bookshelves, which held every title imaginable. Harry was beginning to see what an advantage having a Celestial Council could be...

As Harry walked around the room, perusing the different titles, he noticed a door dividing two bookshelves. Shrugging, he opened the door, and walked into a nicely decorated hall, with various doors leading into different rooms, which he imagined would hold his training equipment in every subject. Not wanting to think about how much magic had been involved to make this seem normal from the outside, he walked into the first door to his left.

The room he entered was filled with exercise equipment of all kinds. Some were obviously magical in function, and Harry noticed some dummies lying on the far wall. Others, however, looked muggle in appearance, only their bright lights giving them away. This must have been what Nedra had meant by her surprise! Deciding to examine the equipment in finer detail at a later point, he moved on to another room.

This one was a complete Potion's laboratory, similar to that of Salazar's. He noticed as he walked in that the temperature had dropped several notches, and that the room was both dark and dank. After all, as Salazar said, this was the best environment for most potions' ingredients. Shelves lined the walls of this room as well, though instead of holding books they held ingredients. The center of the room held several long tables, complete with many cauldrons of various shapes, sizes and materials. Nodding to himself, Harry left the room and entered the next.

This held dummies, very similar to those in the equipment room, though they came equipped with gauges on the side. Unsure of their function, Harry moved on to the next side of the room. Many of the magical objects he could not decipher, though he did recognize a Pensieve among them. Deciding to peruse the next room, for he wanted to gain a general feeling of his new home before close examination, Harry exited the chamber.

Moving on to the next room, Harry noticed that it also held many magical pieces whose nature he could not decipher. The next and last door simply led to a large, empty space. Harry looked around, trying to find a hidden passage. Finding none, he decided that the object of this room would soon be revealed to him. Search done, he realized that his morning's exploration had made him hungry. He left his room and made his way downstairs, only to find the Dursley's sitting down, eating lunch. _Nice to know that they aren't dependant on me for food_, Harry thought to himself as he sat himself down and grabbed a slice of meatloaf. All conversation had stopped as soon as he had entered the room.

Thankfully hearing no complaints, Harry began to eat. He smiled internally at his 'family's' surprise. Soon enough, talk of Grunnings' increased production and sales rose again, and the Dursley's went back to doing what they did best: ignoring Harry. Which, of course, was perfect in his mind as it left him free to think about the new changes in his life.

At the beginning of his summer (strange, as how that seemed ages ago, but in reality was only four days), he had decided that he would train to defeat Voldemort. Now, his plan was taking a definite form. His room had now been transformed into the ultimate training area, both magical and physical. _Voldemort, you will rue the day you decided to attack me..._ The Dursley's shifted nervously as they saw the maniacal grin form on Harry's face; the rest of the meal continued in contemplative silence.

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked this chapter!

Now, on the review responses:

**Dr. Gero**: Yes, it is tough! Not to mention that I am involved in a hundred after-school activities! You were home schooled? What is that like? Anyway, yes, I did take it from DBZ (at least, I think I did – I probably made it up myself, but I didn't want people thinking I had taken it from somewhere), and it was in my Disclaimer! You're probably right about the hissing, but I don't have the time to change it! When I find the time, I will, thanks! Longer Ginny parts soon, i promise! Thanks for the review!

**Harry/Ginnyfan4ever**: Summons larger dragon, which blows flames into your hair. Beat that! Thanks for the reviewer.

**Totallystellar**: Don't worry, I forgive you! It's not really your fault anyway! No problem. Thanks for the review!

**PhoebeH**: No response... lol! Social Action leaves me drained, for your information! All those old people! lol Thanks for the review!

**James and Lily 4eva**:I'm glad that you are enjoying the story, despite its short chapter. I really don't have the time to write longer chapters! I'm doing my best here, and still an honor roll student! Thanks for reviewing and reading all the same! I happen to like my quotes...

Don't forget to review! It takes two seconds, and really means a lot to me!

* * *


	10. Attack of the Killer Dummies

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie (Lady Lyssa)

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Everything you do not recognize belongs to me! (That makes me feel so special :D)! If I were her, I would be writing the Half Blood Prince in a small café, rather than sitting here, typing on fanfiction!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

Here you go, my double post of the weekend! I hope you all enjoy it! Happy Thanksgiving!

* * *

Attack of the Killer Dummies

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confidant it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.

- King Whitney Jr.

* * *

The clock on Harry's night table read 12:30 when he made his way back to his room. Deciding that now would be the ideal time to begin training, he walked through his bedroom and into the large hall that separated his different training areas. Deciding to start off with physical training, Harry made his way through the first door. He walked up to the first machine, which appeared to be a treadmill. The only difference was that this one had no buttons, and ran on magic (or so he thought, for there weren't any electrical cords and it was glowing). SpeedMaster 8000 was written in golden calligraphy on the equipment's side. Unsure of how to turn it on, he simply stepped onto the machine. 

"How fast would you like to go?" the machine asked in a decidedly feminine voice.

"Umm... 6 miles per hour?"

And Harry was off running. He kept up the pace for about twenty minutes before deciding to try out the rest of the devices in the room. The next looked exactly like a muggle StepMaster, and Harry decided to try that another day. He made the rounds of the room, trying several of the machines that were new to him (he had only heard them by name, not function). All, he quickly realized, were similarly based on muggle contraptions, from Rowing Machines and Stationary Bicycles, to weight lifting.

At last, Harry reached the final part of the room. This wall was covered entirely with dummies. He examined all 30, and realized that they were exactly the same. He encountered a problem similar to the one he had encountered with the Treadmill. _How do you turn them on?_

He stood in front of them, deep in thought. If he only knew their function, perhaps he could figure out how to start them up. He thought back to what this room symbolized. _These pieces of equipment must all come from Nedra and Kael_. Since their jobs were to teach him how to physically develop his body, and martial art training, deductive reasoning would lead him to believe that he was supposed to _fight_ the dummies. Nedra had yet to begin his martial art training, but it wouldn't hurt for him to _try_ to fend off this threaded opponent.

Perhaps it would start up if he hit it. He punched the first dummy's mid-side, hoping to receive a reaction. The dummy immediately left its previous limp form and stood away from the wall, standing tall.

"Which level do you choose?"

"Level One."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the dummy assumed a defensive stance, which Harry quickly copied. When no one moved for the first few minutes, the dummy lunged forward with a punch. Harry rapidly blocked the attack with his arm in an X position, and lunged forward himself. He hit the dummy square in the midside, and it went back to the wall and became limp.

Harry hit the dummy again.

"Level Two."

Harry and the dummy circled each other for a few moments, before Harry lunged forward once more. Rather than blocking, the dummy simply dodged his attack. _So that's how you want to play then. _They circled a few more times, and Harry dodged another blow before lunging forward himself. The dummy was able to dodge this attack as well. However, instead of simply ending it there, Harry turned around immediately after and lunged at the dummy's side, not having given it enough time to turn around and face its opponent. His seeker training was coming in handy. The dummy stumbled back a few steps as Harry's hand collided with its side, before going back to the wall and becoming limp.

This was easier than Harry thought it would be, presumably because the first levels were jokes. Oh well, it wasn't as if he had already had his first lesson or anything. He hit the dummy again.

"Level Three."

The enchanted dummy came to life and circled Harry. Before he could give the dummy enough time to attack, Harry lunged forward. He wasn't fast enough, and the dummy simply dodged it again. Harry used the same plan as last time, and quickly lunged forward a second time, fist colliding with the dummy's side once more. The dummy stumbled back a few times, before facing Harry again.

It was obvious that, though he had managed to hit the dummy, he had been too focused on his strategy and his fist itself had not packed enough punch. Harry dodged another attack, and used the same move as before, this time making sure to hit harder. The dummy stumbled backwards and fell down, defeated. Harry definitely hoped that the higher leveled dummies would learn from their mistakes, or this would be too easy. He hit the dummy once more.

"Level Four."

Harry quickly ran back and assumed a defensive stance as the dummy came forward. Harry dodged the attack, and was about to lunge forward himself when he found himself on the floor. The dummy had kicked him! Harry scrambled up quickly. He had not been taking the dummies seriously enough, and he had just paid for it. He dodged another attack, and had to block another punch.

He quickly ran back several steps, trying to get his bearings straight. However, moments later, the dummy was on him again. Harry lunged forward, but the dummy dodged this attack as well. It was obvious that he was going to get nowhere with just his punches. Steeling himself, he used a roundhouse kick to knock the dummy down. He succeeded, but his kick had been poor, and he soon found himself on the floor as well from lack of balance. When the dummy went back to the wall and fell limp, Harry decided to call it quits and wait for Nedra to teach him some proper moves.

He left the room and entered his own bedroom again, this time going towards the bookshelves and grabbing several Potions textbooks. The next four hours were spent making several of the potions he had learned throughout the years, as well as some new ones. These included some minor healing ones, in case he ever seriously hurt himself while training, and a few minor energy replenishing ones as well.

Done with his potions, he bottled them, labeled them, and placed them on an empty shelf in the back (deciding to be neat from the start, he placed them in alphabetical order, so they would be easier to find). He entered the next, high-ceilinged room, trying to find out what these dummies were for.

They had gauges on their sides, and from what Harry could tell from the rest of the items in this room, this was probably where he would practice his spell casting. Perhaps the gauges on the sides would gauge how much power he put into the dummy? He took out his wand, and was about to shoot a spell when he realized he should be practicing his wandless magic (since the Ministry could detect wand magic, and he needed the practice anyway). Placing his wand on a nearby table, he was about to go back to the dummies when he noticed a letter on the table. It read:

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope you enjoy the training dummies found in this room. They have two functions: both being able to simply gauge your magical levels as well as becoming great dueling opponents. To activate the second function, simply shout _'Duel Opponent'_ – _

How much imagination it must have taken...

– _and it will work. Though you should practice the wandless magic Merlin taught you, you may also try out the spells with your wand, for these rooms (save for your bedroom) is free from Ministry detection. Enjoy your training,_

_- Godric Gryffindor_

_Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Ten-time Winner of the Honorary Duelist's Award _

Well, that cleared up a few issues, but he still wanted to try his hand at wandless magic. He entered his trance quickly, and found the right branch of magic. "_Wingardium Leviosa." _The dummy soared until it hit the ceiling, and made a fast descent before hitting the ground. The gauge rose over three-quarters of the way. Wow, he thought to himself. He figured that the gauge must have been made for the high potential wandless magic had, because there was no way anyone would ever reach the top part of the gauge with a wand, no matter how powerful. Shrugging, he decided to test the same spell with his wand, to see how far the gauge would go and compare the two.

"_Wingardium Leviosa."_ There was almost no change to the gauge. This was _not _good. How was he supposed to cover his secret if all of his spells from now on would be _way_ too powerful? He stood in front of the dummy again, and entered a trance. He took _very_ little magic, and projected it forward. _"Wingardium Leviosa." _The dummy rose several feet in the air, and Harry had full control of its movements, and slowed its descent. The gauge only rose a quarter of the way. He was so happy he could dance with joy. He had obviously improved, though he would still have to work on that. Harry wanted to try dueling the dummy before ending his training.

* * *

Hermione stood in the center of her living room. She was currently standing in front of her parents, who were seated comfortably on a beautiful, chocolate, button tufted leather sofa before her. She stared out at the cream colored walls which had surrounded her since childhood, wondering how best to phrase the dilemma she was faced with. 

"Honey, what is it? What did you have to tell us?"

That morning, Hermione had received a letter from the Order, stating that they would be coming in two days to place protection charms around the house, because they believed that Hermione's friendship with Harry would put her and her family at risk. The fact that her parents were muggles only added to the problem. Hermione sighed. She knew that she would have had to tell them sooner or later, but she had secretly been hoping for later rather than sooner. She had no idea that the time would have come so soon.

"Mum, Dad, there is something I've been meaning to tell you. Well, you see –"

Hermione hadn't been at such a loss for words in years. Where to start? Her parents both noticed her unusual nervousness.

"Honey, whatever it is, we are here to help."

Steeling herself, Hermione began her tale.

"Do you remember when I introduced you to Harry Potter? Well..."

For the next hour, she described the many adventures they had been through, from First Year through to Fifth. She described Voldemort's return, and the potential danger her family could be in. By the end of her speech, her parents' mouths were hanging open. They looked at each other, sharing a silent, mutual agreement between each other, one that only a married couple could share.

"Honey," her mother began. "We're alright with this. But – why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Well, I wasn't sure how well you would take it. I was worried that you wouldn't want me to be friends with Harry anymore," Hermione answered sheepishly, but with a smile plastered on her face. It would be impossible to gauge the joy she was emanating; she couldn't believe that they had accepted that easily! Had she known, she would have told them much sooner.

"Honey, we would never ask you to turn away from your friends, especially when they need you most," her father responded.

"I'm so sorry. Thank you for being so understanding!" With that, she reached forward and hugged her parents, tears glistening down her cheeks.

* * *

"Duel Opponent," he shouted. Sure enough, the dummy sprang to life. 

"Which level would you wish to duel at? Levels go from 1 to 100, with the difficulty difference between the levels increasing each time, until they are almost doubling each other by the end."

This was a hard choice. He decided to start at Level 1, even though he knew his proficiency was higher than that, and work his way up.

"Level One."

The dummy stepped forward, but showed no sign of movement other than that. It was obviously waiting for Harry to make the first move. Harry entered another trance, and shouted (he didn't feel like working on not saying the spell) "_Surculus_ _Spiculum_", a spell he had read about it in _Quidditch Through the Ages_, by Kennilworthy Whisp (the supporters of the Appleby Apples were fond of firing arrows out of their wands to celebrate goals). Arrows shot out of mid-air and embedded themselves in his opponent's chest. Of course, he had forgotten to draw a smaller amount of his magic, and consequently arrows were also embedded in all of the other dummies! The dummy he had been fighting walked back to the wall and became limp as soon as Harry's spell had been cast. _Oh well, at least I won!_

"_Finite Incantatem."_

All the arrows disappeared. _Let's try that again_, he thought to himself, _and this time with less power_.

"Duel Opponent – Level Two."

The dummy sprang to life and stepped forward, skipping its introduction. This time it circled Harry, still waiting for Harry to make the first move. He circled his opponent as well, thinking of which spell to use. He didn't want to simply rely on well-known spells, but rather try to improve his abilities and extend his spell knowledge and usage. After all, what were these dummies for but to improve his abilities? Harry entered a trance again, and cast a blasting curse, this time using only a bit of the magic. This effectively sent the dummy careening back, and Harry was satisfied to see that it barely cracked the wall. The dummy stood in line with the others and fell limp. The blasting curse (he remembered that this spell had been on his Defense Against the Dark Arts exam: in the All-England Wizarding Dueling Competition of 1420, Alberta Toothill defeated Samson Wiblin, using a Blasting Curse) was a powerful spell, and one that would be useful against Death Eaters.

"Duel Opponent – Level Three."

The dummy once again sprang to life and stepped forward. It circled Harry, and like the previous time, it waited for its opponent to make the first move. Harry and the dummy circled each other a few times, before Harry thought of a good spell to use. He entered a trance, and shouted "_Tutela Telum._" A charge of electricity bolted out from his hands and into the dummy's chest. The dummy's body entered a short spasm before it backed up and went still. Harry remembered using the spell when Uncle Vernon had tried to hold him around the neck. That had been an automatic defense of wandless magic on Harry's part, of course, but he had researched it and found the exact spell. It was useful, but Harry wasn't sure if he would use a full blast charge on a human just yet.

"Duel Opponent – Level Four."

The dummy sprang to life and stepped forward, circling Harry. They circled each other a few times, allowing Harry to think of a good spell to cast. Before he could cast it, however, the dummy had cast a stunner. Harry dodged the spell and shouted, "_Diffindo_." The dummy effectively tore in half and fell to the ground. It lay motionless for a few seconds before standing up, tear healing, and standing by the wall once more.

"Duel Opponent – Level Five."

The dummy sprang to life, and began circling Harry. Before Harry had so much as a chance to think of a decent spell, the dummy cast a stunner. Harry dodged, seeker reflexes in motion. Having no time to think, Harry simply circled with the dummy, dodging stunners. Wanting to end it quickly, he too entered a trance and shot a stunner, which the dummy effectively dodged as well. He smiled; it was finally getting interesting.

Harry dodged another stunner, and shot one of his own. He tried to enter a second trance quickly and shoot another one fast enough for the dummy to be unable to block it, but was ineffective. He couldn't enter it fast enough to be able to shoot two stunners at rapid fire. Harry sighed: it was time for some fast thinking.

They continued to circle each other. The dummy continuously casting stunners every half-minute. With sudden inspiration, he remembered the spell Umbridge had used on the centaur, prompting the rest of them to attack her. "_Incarcerous_!" Thick ropes flew from his hands and wrapped around the dummy, effectively immobilizing it, and making it unable to cast spells. He then entered another trance and shot a stunner. It hit the dummy square in the chest, and it fell to the floor, 'stunned' for several seconds before popping back up, going against the wall, and falling limp.

Instead of starting a new level, Harry spent the rest of the day working on saying his spells silently, as well as staying in a trance long enough to cast more than one spell. He would have to work it out soon; or else duels would become more and more difficult.

* * *

Ginny looked up to see Hedwig tapping on her window belligerently. She walked to the window and opened it, allowing the owl to swoop through and land on her arm. Ginny's heart skipped a beat as she took Harry's response from Hedwig. She opened it and read: 

_Dear Ginny,_

_Thank you for that letter, it really meant a lot to me. And yes, it did help me a lot. Thank you for not beating around the bush with Sirius, but rather being up front. You brought a new perspective into things! I realize that it must have taken a great deal of courage to have said some of the things you did. No wonder you're in Gryffindor! _

_I guess I should have realized sooner that you are more than just Ron's little sister, and I'm sorry that it took me this long to realize it._

Obviously! Took his dense mind long enough...

_You have a great sense of humor, are intelligent, and are not afraid to state what is on your mind. It's obvious that you've matured a lot! I know I shouldn't have blown up at Hermione and Ron. And yes, I've already apologized about that._

_Since when have you said (or written) the word Voldemort? I'm glad, of course, but I was just wondering, why the sudden change?_

_Anyway, everything is going great around here, and the Dursleys are treating me with, well, respect I guess. They're ignoring me, but I take that as a good thing!_

_Write soon._

_Your friend,_

_Harry_

Ginny smiled. Harry was finally beginning to get the picture. She wrote down her response, which thankfully did not take as much time as it had before, and sent Hedwig away with it.

* * *

Sirius walked out of the Ministry of Magic, still under the protection of the invisibility cloak. He walked down the street, thinking of how best to reach Harry. He _could_ simply apparate to his house, but he first wanted to know what day it was, and how long he had been gone for. He walked into a muggle grocery store, and looked over at a large calendar on the wall. Merlin! He had been gone for nearly a month! Poor Harry and Moony! They had had to suffer his death for so long! 

Sirius was about to apparate to Harry, but stopped. He had to think of a proper entrance. He had, after all, been gone for a long period of time. He didn't want to scare Harry. Actually, never mind, he did! His marauder instincts were already back, as he apparated to Number Four Privet Drive.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Harry meets up with Sirius next chapter, or the next! Will be interesting, I promise! Please click on the review button and review, because it makes me happy! And trust me, you want me to be happy! Cookies to all those that review! 

Review Responses:

**HarryGinnyfan4ever**: Puts hands up! "Fine, you beat it, now unleash me before I get the Princess (who, may I remind you, has more authority in her Queendom than you do)! Thanks for the review, I'll read yours as soon as I find the chance!

**Tanydwr**: Thanks for the review! I'm glad someone realized what I was trying to get at with him not being lazy...

**Dr. Gero**: Yay! I can't believe I made that much of an impact with Helga! Score! Yes, Harry made contact with them in Chapter... well, I dont' remember, but he did. It's day four, so another one should be coming in two days! Don't worry, I'm usually pretty good with that, but thanks! I also often skip peoples disclaimers, so don't worry. I was just trying to make a point. So no hard feelings? Thanks for the review!

**TuxedoMac**: I realize that it was short. Originally, it had been all one chapter (these two), but I felt it would be better to have a transitional chapter of descriptions before the real solo training began! Hope you enjoyed this one!

**Lourdes**: After careful examination of review, FlyingPixie realizes that it was a compliment! Thanks, you really think I have a great imagination? I have friends who think I'm crazy, so it just goes to show! Thanks for the review!

* * *


	11. The Return of a Friend, a Godfather, and...

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie (Lady Lyssa)

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Everything you do not recognize belongs to me! (That makes me feel so special :D)! If I were her, I would be writing the Half Blood Prince in a small café, rather than sitting here, typing on fanfiction!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

Sorry for the delay! Last weekend was killer. I had no free time whatsoever! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I know a lot of you have been waiting for this one since I started! Enjoy, and tell me what you think! I promise I'll try as hard as I can to post weekly, which has been getting harder and harder as my school load increases. Anyway, go on and read, and don't forget to review! I was supposed to update yesterday, but my internet shut down so I couldn't! :(

* * *

The Return of a Friend, a Godfather and a Marauder

_The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile... it's the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship. _

Ralph Waldo Emerson

* * *

Sirius apparated in front of Number Four Privet Drive, still under the protection of his invisibility cloak. He had tried apparating inside, but the wards hadn't let him in. _At least I know they're working_, he thought to himself as he thought of how best to present himself. Thinking back to the fact that he had been gone for quite a long period of time, and Harry was still (probably) mourning, Sirius didn't exactly want to scare him. He also didn't want to be attacked either, and if he knew his godson that would probably be his first reaction. After all, who would believe him when he said he had come back from the dead? Sirius sighed: he couldn't simply ring the doorbell. He highly doubted that the muggles would just let him in. Besides, it just wasn't his style anyway.

Thinking quickly, he decided to cast a Levitation spell on himself. He flew up to Harry's window. How was he supposed to open the window from the outside without Harry noticing? He looked inside. Everything appeared to be normal, and his godson was nowhere insight, so Sirius decided a quick Window-Unlocking charm would do the trick. He had never thought this charm would come in handy after his Marauder days, but one never knew. He flew in quickly and shut the window behind him. When he turned around, he was completely shell-shocked.

Harry's room was enormous. His puny, single bed had been transformed into a massive king-sized bed. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls. It had been completely refurbished with antique-style furniture. How had this happened? A change this enormous wouldn't simply happen over-night. He would ask Harry when he saw him, but figured that the Order was probably behind it. Thinking of which, where was his godson?

It was then that Sirius spotted a door between two of the shelves. He walked towards it and opened it, in for his second surprise of the day. He had expected the door to lead to a closet at worst, or another room at best. But a circular hallway, leading into multiple rooms? Sirius couldn't believe it. Why would the Order have done this? The only explanation was that Harry had refused to go to Grimmauld Place, but even that didn't make any sense. His best bet to finding Harry, along with some answers, was in one of these rooms.

He opened the first door, which was empty. Shrugging at the pointlessness of the room, Sirius opened the second door. One wall was lined with dummies. Upon closer inspection, they were fighting simulators; similar to those he had trained with at Auror Academy, but several models up. He hadn't even known they had existed. Why had the Order done this? What were they training Harry for? Sirius _hated_ not knowing what was going on. He left the room and went on to the next one.

After searching two other rooms, he finally found Harry. Harry was currently doing ... well, Sirius didn't exactly know what he was doing. It looked as if Harry was in a deep trance. Seconds later, Sirius watched in fascination as his godson, completely oblivious to his entrance, shot a red bolt from his hands. The bolt stopped just short of the wall and came back to him, passing Harry as it flung to the other wall, once again just stopping short. The bolt them came once more to Harry, and dissipated. Harry had done all that without a wand, _and_ with his eyes closed! Sirius watched, completely entranced, as a bolt of orange magic shot out of his hands as soon as the red one had disappeared, without missing a beat. A smile formed on Harry's otherwise expressionless face as the second bolt flew around the room in similar pattern to the first. Suddenly, just as the orange bolt had dissipated, Harry bolted out of his trance, staring directly at Sirius. He involuntarily shuddered: this wasn't good.

* * *

Harry smiled; this was absolutely amazing. In attempting to enter a trance long enough to cast multiple spells one after the other, he had gone far enough in his trance that his Second Sight had improved incredibly. Not only was the magic around him glowing strongly, but other things, such as the ceiling above him, the walls surrounding him, etc. also glowed, though dimly at that. He was now able to see around him, despite the fact that his eyes were closed. Of course, it wasn't in as much detail, but it was a definite start. This new gift could definitely come in handy if he was ever blindfolded.

Under this deep trance, he was able to cast spells one after the other, and even direct them around the room. His control had greatly increased under the trance, but at the same time Harry was having difficulty decreasing the power he poured into said spells. Practice would make perfect, and perfection was one thing he would have to strive for before the summer was over. Not just strive for, Harry reminded himself, but succeed.

Harry had started off by shooting various spells at the dummies, but then (purely by accident), he had discovered that he could shoot spells and manipulate their movements, and had spent the next hour or so practicing this new skill. He couldn't help the smile forming on his face. _This_ was what had always been missing from magic. The next step up from simple wand casting.

In the middle of his spell work, Harry had felt a nagging at the back of his mind; feeling a familiar presence. It was indescribable, and he had no idea what it could mean. Ignoring it, he went back to his training. The nagging, however, just got worse as time wore on. Just as his last bolt of pure charm magic flew around the room, he turned his head slightly. The sight knocked him out of his trance. Harry turned around, staring directly at Sirius Black, his godfather.

The image was slightly distorted, making it quite obvious to him that Sirius was under an invisibility cloak. Harry shook his head, tears threatening to form. No, this wasn't Sirius, he chastised himself, it was an intruder. There was no other explanation. But why was he under an invisibility cloak if he had taken a Polyjuice Potion? Probably another trap, making it seem more likely that it was actually Sirius. Harry glared at the stranger. How **dare **Voldemort try a stunt like this? He would _pay._

Harry entered a trance and took a defensive stance. He could not let this one out alive knowing his secret. Voldemort could _not_ find out about his new powers. If he did, Harry would have lost his greatest advantage over him. Perhaps a quick stunner, and then a Mind-Zapping spell he had read about. That would do the trick, but first, he would let the stranger explain himself.

"What are you doing here, and what do you want?" Harry almost yelled at the intruder. It was something that had been bothering him. It was impossible for the person to have apparated inside, so the only explanation would be that he had used the front door, or, the more likely scenario, had flown up and entered through his window. Making a mental reminder to himself to install a magical alarm system, Harry's thoughts moved to the problem before him.

The tone with which his godson had posed his question frightened Sirius more than the fact that Harry could now see through invisibility cloaks. Sirius removed the cloak and stepped forward, hands raised to show that he meant no harm. "Harry, it's me, Sirius."

Auror reflexes back, Sirius just nearly dodged Harry's attack. If he hadn't known better, it would seem as if Harry was toying with him, not using full force and missing deliberately, quite a Slytherin thing to do. Either way, that attack had been too close for comfort. Harry repeated his question. "Sirius died. Who are you really? What are you doing here? How did you get in and what do you want? That last shot was a joke. I suggest you tell me the truth this time."

Sirius shuddered. Harry was so cold and distant. Not that he blamed him of course. He wouldn't be too happy if someone had come into his house unannounced. "Harry, it really is me. Ask me anything you want and I can tell you."

Harry appeared to think his question through. It was obvious that he would have to ask a question that only he and Sirius knew the answer to. Harry seemed to fight back tears as he voiced his question. "What was your last gift to me before I left Grimmauld Place?"

"A mirror, so that way we could always be in touch if you needed anything, or if Snape was giving you a hard time," Sirius too had to fight back tears. He had missed Harry so much, and it scared him to death that he might never have been able to see him again. "Harry, it really is me."

Harry broke down completely at Sirius' last words. Sirius ran up to him and hugged him as tightly as he could; seriously considering never letting go if his life depended on it. Tears were streaming freely down both of their cheeks as they were re-united again. Harry managed to choke out, "How?"

Sirius led his godson to his room, and the two sat down on Harry's bed. Sirius stated the simple truth: he had no idea how, but he had simply woken up in the Department of Mysteries. He was just glad to be back. Sirius prompted Harry to explain the changes to his room and his new gifts. Harry, having no qualms about telling his godfather, began his long tale about the Celestial Guidance Council, and how he was able to use magic without being detected by the Ministry. Though it took a few more promptings from Sirius, Harry managed to explain the prophecy and its contents.

When Sirius didn't think he could possibly handle any more surprises, a bombshell was landed on him. He couldn't believe that Harry, so young, had to bear this burden, and silently promised to do all that he could to help his godson. The two of them talked for hours, Harry unleashing a torrent of worries that had bogged him down as of late, glad to finally have someone to share them with. Together, they laughed and cried, enjoying each other's company. Sirius couldn't remember the last time he had ever done this with Harry, and doubted that he ever had.

"Oh Harry, it's so great to be back. I was so scared that I had lost you forever as I fell through that veil." Sirius couldn't find the words to express the great longing he had felt, but Harry nodded in understanding, having felt the same thing. It was then that Sirius' thoughts turned to Remus, the only other remaining Marauder. Sirius realized that he probably missed him almost as much as Harry.

"You know Harry, I should really go visit Remus." Harry eyes grew large and fearful, and he latched onto his godfather, afraid that he would leave him again. Completely understanding, Sirius nodded.

"Don't worry Harry; I'll bring you as well."

Calming considerably, Harry nodded as well. "How are we going to get there?"

Sirius considered this. He could Apparate himself without detection by anyone (a useful skill he had picked up), but he had never apparated two people before, undetected. He explained the problem to Harry.

Harry thought for a few minutes, before saying, "We could ride to Grimmauld Place, if you don't mind. It's probably the safest way anyway."

"Where do we get the brooms, might I ask?" Sirius countered, angry that he hadn't thought of it first...

"Why don't you conjure them?" Harry countered.

"Fine then, I **will**." Sirius furrowed his brow, deep in concentration, and waved his wand. Two Cleansweep brooms appeared before them. Sirius looked smug, not quite realizing that he had actually lost the 'fight'. When Sirius wasn't looking, Harry concentrated hard on the broomstick. He keyed into his transfiguratory magic, and transformed _his_ broom into the latest Firebolt model available. He smiled internally, not believing that he had succeeded on his first try. It was much easier to change an object's original composition, then to conjure it from mid-air.

Sirius turned around, ready to cast a Disillusionment spell when he noticed Harry holding a Firebolt in place of the original Cleansweep. He glared accusingly at Harry, who had an innocent smile on his face. "What's wrong Sirius?" Harry asked, in the sweetest voice he could muster without falling to pieces.

Sirius' face turned bright red, before he cooled down. Harry would pay, of this he was certain. Yes, Harry would rue the day he had ever pranked Sirius Black. Wordlessly, ignoring the fact that Harry had a superior broom, he Disillusioned them with one spell, and they were off. The ride was spent in silence, Harry happy to spend time with his godfather, and rejoicing over his victory. Sirius, on the other hand, was already planning his comeback...

In under two hours they landed in front of Grimmauld Place, Sirius wasn't as paranoid as Moody, there weren't as many detours. Or rather, where they both knew Grimmauld Place should be. They both said the mantra in their heads until the battered door appeared between numbers eleven and thirteen, followed swiftly by the rest of the Headquarters.

Sirius and Harry looked at each other, faced with a dilemma. They couldn't exactly walk inside, or Sirius would be attacked. By the look on Sirius' face, Harry realized that his godfather wasn't ready to meet many people, and neither was he, he realized. They both simply wanted to talk to Remus. With sudden inspiration, Harry asked, "Do you know any illusory spells that would enable us to walk through unnoticed, even by Moody? A spell that would hide not only our images, but our sounds as well?"

Sirius was taken aback. That was Auror level thinking, and he should have thought of it first. "Of course, I know just the spell." A wave of his wand and a long incantation later, the Illusion spell was in place. It was a complicated spell that required a lot of concentration, especially if cast on multiple people, because it required a complex illusion. For instance, if they opened the door, the illusion would make it appear as if the door had never been touched. If they walked up the stairs, no matter how loud they stomped, not a sound would be heard by the house's occupants. A very useful spell for stake-outs on enemy territory, which is why it was taught in the last level of Auror academy.

Harry saw a wave of magic, red, orange and navy blue in color, spring out from Sirius' wand. The three different magics blended together so well that you could hardly tell where one ended and the other began. The spell wave covered the two of them; illusion in place. The two nodded to each other. Now all they had to do was find Remus.

* * *

"Is everyone present?" Dumbledore asked, his voice betraying his seemingly feeble body by sounding throughout the entire room. When no disagreement was heard, he continued. "Let this Order of the Phoenix meeting begin." Any last conversations were stopped, and all members turned to Snape, always the first to report.

Remus looked around. Only the Inner Circle was present this particular meeting, as most of the issues discussed would not pertain to the people of the Outer Sects. In particular, this included Harry and plans for his summer. Remus sighed, weary to the bone from both his last transformation and general fatigue owing to lack of sleep and thoughts of... he wouldn't let his mind travel there just yet. He had to pay attention.

Snape had been talking. "The Dark Lord had another meeting last night. He mentioned the three keys that would allow him to gain even more power and even more potential. In addition to the Blood Raven crystal, he has now laid claim to the Chain of Saberitus. Only one item left, and he will be able to attack Hogwarts, or worse."

Several gasps were heard around the room at his words. Dumbledore stood up, effectively silencing all. "Has Voldemort mentioned what the third item is?" Dumbledore directed his question at Snape. He doubted that he would receive the answer he desired, because Snape would have mentioned it in his report, but protocol demanded he ask the question that was on everyone's mind.

"No he has not, but I will try to gather as much information as I can. No other large scale plans were discussed during the meeting." With a curt nod to Dumbledore, Snape sat back in his chair. Dumbledore nodded, addressing the entire meeting this time. "I have taken the liberty of researching the origins of the Blood Raven Crystal. It was found missing from an Egyptian museum, but was not considered important enough to put more than a small report in the newspaper, the news never even reaching England. The ancient Egyptian wizards believed that this crystal held the power to change one's destiny by directly controlling the tapestry of life. As the legend goes, the more power a wizard holds, the easier it becomes to control the tapestry. However, no one ever deduced the secret to unleashing the crystal's power, so none of the authorities found the disappearance worth reporting. If what Snape says is true, then Voldemort has indeed found a way. I pray for all our sakes that I am wrong."

Everybody nodded, nobody having any comments on the matter. The atmosphere of the room was bleak. To control fate? That was a power no man should have. If Voldemort _did _indeed possess such a power...

Dumbledore continued "After much consideration on the matter, I have decided that young Harry should be brought to Grimmauld Place before his birthday. I would like to begin training him to be able to defend himself against Voldemort."

Not a lie, but not the entire truth. He wanted to train Harry to better make him able to fulfill the prophecy. Having him at Grimmauld Place also served the duel purpose of being able to keep a closer eye on him, without having to resort to spying on Privet Drive to ensure his safety. Like it or not, he bore the burden of the wizarding society on his shoulders.

Remus couldn't believe that Dumbledore actually considered having Harry come to Grimmauld Place. It just wasn't right. There was no way that the boy would be able to handle it. Apparently Molly Weasley held similar concerns.

"Why can't he simply come to the Burrow? He wouldn't have to spend the rest of the summer in this awful house with all its memories." She paused respectfully for a few seconds before continuing. "He would be around loving family members who can take care of him. It wouldn't do to have the poor boy spend any time here at all. Albus, he's just a boy for goodness sakes."

Dumbledore shook his head. If only she knew how wrong she truly was. Harry had lost his innocence, and had confronted Voldemort more than many of the Order members combined. Dumbledore had made that mistake once and he wouldn't make it again. No, Harry was no child, and could not be treated like one.

"Sadly Molly, Harry is no longer a boy, which ever way you wish to look at it. He is a growing young man, almost an adult, and should be treated likewise. I'm afraid there is no place other then Headquarters. The Burrow simply does not have enough protection spells in place, and it would take too long to improve the existing ones on top of our plans. I'm sorry, we have no other choice."

Molly huffed in her seat, but made no further comment, seeing that any would be futile and shot down immediately. When Dumbledore saw this, he continued, "Now, next order of business. Onto the Granger family..."

* * *

Remus trudged up the stairs and into his room, the Order meeting having just ended. He was absolutely exhausted. He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to allow sleep to claim him. As on most nights, sleep never came, and he lay unmoving on his bed. _Sirius, why did you leave me?_ Remus was the only _true_ Marauder left, and he missed his friends terribly.

His thoughts turned to Harry. Remus knew that Harry would be having trouble dealing as well, but didn't want to intrude on the boy's personal space. When Harry was ready, perhaps Remus could share some of the memories he had of Sirius, James and himself when they were younger. Perhaps...

It was on lonely nights such as this that Remus hated most of all. The reflections that lasted late into the night, until his exhausted body fell into an unfit sleep. He was much more tired than usual, and his transformations were getting worse and much more painful, taking a heavy toll on his body.

"Remus," he heard his name being called by Sirius.

He opened his eyes. Yup, that was Sirius all right. Used to this, he simply closed his eyes again. Some nights, visions of Sirius appeared. The first time, he had actually thought he was seeing his friend again, but soon learned it was just his brain playing tricks on him. He usually just ignored it now, and waited for the visions to leave him alone.

Sirius and Harry walked up the stairs to Remus' room.

"Should we knock?" Harry glared back at Sirius' ridiculous question in response. They entered the room, and closed the door softly behind them. Of course, they didn't have to, and could have slammed the door if they wished to, but it just didn't seem right. Sirius cast a Soundless spell on the room so no one would hear Remus' potential screams.

Undoing the Illusion spell, they walked up to Remus, who was currently lying on his back, eyes closed. _Poor Remus_, Sirius thought to himself. He called out his friend's name, but Remus only looked at him, and closed his eyes again without a second glance.

Harry and Sirius shared confused looks. They had expected more emotion than that. What was wrong with him? Shrugging, Harry called out this time, "Remus, it's us."

This time, Remus' eyes snapped open. He sat up in bed, confused. "Harry, what are you doing here?" Harry had never appeared before, it was usually only Sirius. Remus was seriously worried now. Looking carefully, he realized that the two people before him were real, not the usually hazy kind in day dreams. Remus jumped out of bed and grabbed the wand on his bedside table. "Who are you, what do you want and how did you get in here?"

Harry and Sirius shared a look, and tried not to laugh. _This_ was the reaction they had been expecting. Relieved that their friend had not gone insane, the two smiled in tandem. "Remus, it's Harry and Sirius. Ask us anything you want and we can prove it to you."

"Don't lie to me. Sirius is dead, and Harry would have no way of getting here. I repeat, if you don't tell me who you are and what you want, I'll stun you 'til next week," like Harry, Remus had all but yelled this statement. Harry and Sirius sighed: this would not be easy.

"Seriously Moony, it's us. Really, just ask us. If we don't live up, you can stun us as much as you want."

Remus considered his options, and decided to ask a question. What was there to lose? It would simply prove his point: they were imposters. What if they answered the questions correctly? Well, he wouldn't go there. There was no way that they were Harry or Sirius. He decided to ask Sirius a question first. Remus thought of a question he could use. It would have to be something that only he and Sirius knew; something that Peter didn't.

"How many pranks did you, James and I do without Peter?"

Sirius grinned. How could he ever forget those pranks? There had only been five of them, but they had been the best pranks, not having been bogged down by Peter's mistakes, and they had never been caught. Everyone knew who had been behind the pranks, but no one had been able to prove it.

"There were five of them."

Remus wasn't fazed in the least. Lucky guess, nothing more. "Name them."

Sirius grinned even more. This would be a synch. "The first one was when the three of us had actual rain fall from the ceiling of the Great Hall. Of course, the rain was spelled so that it colored everyone's hair multi-colored! Even we had multi-colored hair, so no one suspected us. Or rather, could prove that we did it."

Remus stood gaping in front of them. No way, just another lucky guess. Somehow, his theory wasn't working anymore. Sirius didn't notice and had continued on.

"For the second one, wespelled the pumpkin juice when we snuck down into the kitchens, and the next day everyone who drank the pumpkin juice started to levitate. It took the teachers over an hour to figure out how to reverse the effects, because the pumpkin juice had special ingredients that make spells harder to reverse! It was you who had figured that out. Again, no one could point any fingers towards us."

Remus couldn't believe it. Another lucky guess? He couldn't believe it. How could Sirius be alive? He had seen him fall behind the Veil. There was no way anyone could pass the Veil between the living and the dead and survive. It was impossible.

"The third one was one of our best. Remember when Dumbledore had told us that we should try to increase school unity? We then added a variant of the Polyjuice Potion to the pumpkin juice and the water (if it worked the first time it would work again). It was a variant that allowed it to be mixed with other substances and not be obsolete. It also had an improved taste. It took us such a long time to come up with the recipe: so long in fact that only Dumbledore himself realized where the idea stemmed from. Anyway, the potion turned everyone into the carbon copy of Snape. You should have seen his face when he saw that. He was interrogated for a week, and he got a week's worth of detention with Filch." Sirius was outright laughing at the memory.

Remus was staring incredulously at Sirius, all doubts vanished. When Sirius saw this, he kept quite, not going on to the fourth and fifth pranks (despite the fact that Harry looked extremely interested). "How is this possible?" Remus managed to choke out.

"Well," Sirius began, running a hand through his hair. "I really have no idea. I just remember waking up at the Department of Mysteries, under the Veil. The good thing is that I'm back, right?" Remus ran up and hugged Sirius. His friend was back, actually back. This wasn't a dream, it was real. Sirius was _actually_ here. Sirius hugged his friend back just as hard.

They laughed and the three sat on the bed, talking about the latest news. Harry listened to them recount some of their best pranks, as he thought. Should he tell Remus about the prophecy as well? Of course, he considered Sirius like the father he never had, but what about Remus? The two of them were his only link to his parents. Remus had stood by him when he had really needed him. Harry owed him this much. One look at Sirius told him everything. Sirius fell silent, allowing Harry to speak.

"I'm sure you heard about the prophecy Voldemort had tried to collect at June, correct?"

Remus frowned, not sure where Harry was going to take this. "Of course I do, but Dumbledore told us that it broke."

"True, it did, but Dumbledore heard the original prophecy being made himself." Harry re-counted the contents of the prophecy; once he started it became easier for him to finish, the hard part over. Remus nodded. At least he knew why Harry had been acting particularly distant, even more so than with just Sirius' death. Remus couldn't believe that Harry had had to suffer through so much, as if he hadn't had enough of a burden to bear. The three sat in silence, Remus processing the information. Harry motioned for Sirius to be silent about his new powers. He wasn't ready for more people to know. The prophecy was enough for one day.

"Do the others know yet?" Remus asked.

"No, you two, and Dumbledore, are the only ones. Please don't tell anyone. They will find out when I am ready to tell them."

Remus nodded. "Does anyone else know about Sirius coming back?"

"Not yet, no." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, an idea formed in his mind. He hadn't wanted to scare Harry and Remus, but the others...Remus caught Sirius' sparkling eyes and his feral grin, and understood at once. It was time for everyone to find out, Marauder style.

* * *

A/N: 5000 words! Can you believe it! I hope everyone liked the chapter! Please tell me whether or not it was up to standard!

I'm going to try to update as soon as possible, with longer chapters! Please review. I know there are people out there who read my story and don't review. If you've stuck with me thus far, the least you can do is review it and tell me your opinion! Read and review! Now, onto the review responses:

**Harry/Ginnyfan4ever**: I didn't relent! I simply called upon a stronger, much more powerful force! **Glares **Anyway, thank you for the review! I'll read your chapter as soon as I can. **Walks away complaining about stupid internet.**

**Dr. Gero:** I don't believe Hermione ever told her parents, or that it was ever mentioned in the books for that matter. She might have lightly gone over their 'adventures', but I doubt she would have told them all about Voldemort and the potential danger she's in, for fear that they would not allow her to go to school! As for the transformations, it is Ryder who will teach Harry (elf mentioned once in the second chapter. Don't worry, until I seriously introduce the character I can't expect you to remember that far back!). Harry won't be telling Ron for a while now, so the jealousy factor won't come in for a while. As for whether or not it will in the end, you'll just have to see! Thanks for the review!

**Stahchild**: Personally, I don't believe that seeing the Order first would have ever crossed poor Sirius' mind. After all, what harm could Harry do? Sirius wouldn't even spend too much time thinking about it, he would simply want to see Harry first. That's what I would do. After all, he would have to convince the Order in the first place, which is a lot harder because there are more of them. :D Does that answer it? If not, feel free to question it as much as you want. It makes me question why I do things sometimes, and helps me stay in character! Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you're enjoying the fic!

**REALbluelightsaber**: I can't promise that Harry won't be able to take out one Death Eater with one spell because his magic is very powerful (how else is he supposed to take out super-powered Voldie?), but he probably won't do it very often because he would want to conserve energy/magic. Besides, it wouldn't be very fun to read now would it...

**Phoebe-H**: Midnight? **Is insulted **I never made you stay up till midnight. And if I did, then you deserved it because you had to go watch Charmed. So there! Thanks anyway!

Don't forget to read and review everyone! Your input is great. Even if all you say it is great chapter, keep up the good work, it really does encourage me to update as soon as I can. For some people (looks at Lourdes and sighs), it only takes two or three seconds to review! So please don't be like those people who simply read and so nothing! Actually review... Cookies to all who reviewed last time!

**Horde of people come into the room, and eat them all!**

I didn't even hear any thank you's! Oh well, hope you enjoyed the virtual cookies!


	12. Of Pranks, Tricksters and Evil Spirits

The Celestial Guidance

by FlyingPixie (Lady Lyssa)

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Everything you do not recognize belongs to me! (That makes me feel so special :D)! If I were her, I would be writing the Half Blood Prince in a small café, rather than sitting here, typing on fanfiction!

A/N: This story takes place in Harry's sixth year, after OotP. H/G, R/Hr, PG-13 rating.

Sorry for the delay everyone! These were the worst few weeks, and I was very pressed for time. I apologize tremendously. However, I must say that these past few weekends were the bomb! I went to SSUNS (Model United Nations), and it was an amazing weekend. However, I only had three hours of free time on Sunday, and that was spent doing the homework that had accumulated during the week, as well as the Friday I had missed... so I, sadly, had no time for my fic. And then the next weekend I had a Karate Competition and a school Bazaar. I got Second Place! Go me... anyway. Once again, my apologies. I tried to get this in as soon as I could.

-------- Would people like me to stop writing for a while (well, continue writing but not posting) so that I can have enough back-up chapters that updates will once again be weekly despite my hectic schedule, or do you prefer that I simply continue writing whenever I can. I foresee that next weekend will be quite horrible, as I must study for exams. If the updates were to remain weekly, then two other choices can be given to you (I fell like a game show host): you can either leave the chapter lengths the way they are, and leave the updating in the hands of my teachers, or you may wish to have shorter chapters EVERY week. Shorter may mean 1500 words (in the least, as any less and you barely have a few pages). I am not particularly fond of that last idea, but I leave the choice in your hands. Please mention your opinion in your review! ----------

Thanks for all of the reviews! I got FIFTY! Thanks so much to all those who reviewed. This chapter is dedicated to you guys, for without you there would be no fic! Please enjoy, and I hope that you all review again! And thanks to those who realized that Dumbledore was Headmaster during the Marauder times! I'll fix the mistake soon. Now on to the chapter...

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Of Pranks, Tricksters and Evil Spirits

The mob is man voluntarily descending to the nature of the beast. Its fit hour of activity is night. Its actions are insane like its whole constitution. It persecutes a principle; it would whip a right; it would tar and feather justice, by inflicting fire and outrage upon the houses and persons of those who have these. It resembles the prank of boys, who run with fire engines to put out the ruddy aurora streaming to the stars.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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"Does anyone else know about Sirius coming back?" 

"Not yet, no." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, an idea began to form in Sirius' mind. He hadn't wanted to scare Harry and Remus, but the others... Remus caught Sirius' sparkling eyes and his feral grin, and understood at once. It was time for everyone to find out about his return, Marauder style.

A bright smile illuminated his face, and his eyes twinkled brightly. The _true_ remaining Marauders would play another prank, one that they would never forget. Remus couldn't remember the last time he had seen Sirius this happy. Sirius was prancing around the room in barely confinable energy, practically bouncing off the walls in his excitement.

"So, what's the plan?" Remus asked, wanting to be let in on the prank. "Who are we going to scare first?" Harry nodded eagerly as well, finally able to partake in a prank of his own.

"Why, Snivellus should be our first target of course. Here's the plan..." After being reassured by Remus that Snape was, indeed, spending the night at Grimmauld Place after the Order meeting, Sirius began his long-winded explanation of his plan, complete with emphatic hand gestures. Every few moments Remus and Harry would add their two Knuts, and soon enough they had a real plan formed. The three were grinning from ear to ear in anticipation of the look on Snape's face.

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Snape sighed as he climbed the short flight of stairs. He walked along the hallway until he reached his room. The candles lining the stone walls lit themselves automatically, thanks to a handy spell, as he entered the room. Sighing again, he walked up to the large, antique desk in the corner. He sat down on the cool, red leather chair and took out a handful of Potion's NEWTs he had to correct. Resigning himself to a long night, Snape took the first one and began to read.

Several hours later, Snape felt his eyelids drooping slightly. Realizing that it would be pointless to proceed at this point, he finished the last exam and removed the remaining ink from his quill. Snape's head snapped up as the candles in the room flickered. Some of the flames went out, darkening the room. Gripping his wand tightly, he stood, eyes quickly adjusting to the dark. "Who goes there?" he asked, his voice steady. He was not willing to let his imagination take him away. _Probably just a draft_, he reassured himself, ignoring the fact that he had closed the window over an hour ago for that very reason.

He had taken two steps before the lights flickered once more. The possibility of a draft seemed even less likely. "Who goes there?" he voiced his question again, hoping to get a response. When he didn't, he simply ignored it and went back to his desk, taking the corrected exams and putting them into his bag. When he turned around again, he noticed an odd mist coming from under the door. The white mist, as if with a mind of its own, floated upwards and coalesced into a vague figure.

"Snaaaape. Snaaaape," he heard the levitating figure call out, in an oddly familiar voice. _Where had he heard it before?_ Snape took out his wand and pointed it in front of him. "Who are you?" he all but yelled, his voice remaining steady despite his quickening heart rate. "How did you get in here?"

"The dead have many ways, Snape, of contacting the ones they wish. Have you not yet figured it out?" the mocking voice said.

_That voice, it's so familiar. No, it can't be. There is no way in hell... As if he hadn't bothered him enough while he was alive._

"I think you've figured it out... Snivellus."

_No!_ _How could Sirius be back? It simply wasn't possible. Why couldn't he be left alone for once?_

"Yes, I see you _have_ figured out who I am." Sirius levitated forward, the weird mist previously covering his body parting so that his features were clearer. "I am going to have _fun_ with you, Snivellus."

Snape backed up against the wall, seriously frightened, though trying not to let it show on his face. What could he possibly have done to deserve this? Well, perhaps quite a bit, but nothing worse than anything _they_ had ever done to him. "Why are you here?" he asked, his voice faltering a bit.

Sirius levitated even closer to the trembling man. "Like I said, I am here to have fun with you, and to make you pay for all the terrible things you've done to Harry. Did you think you could get away with them?"

Suddenly, Snape seemed to relax. This was simply an apparition that his imagination was projecting due to a serious lack of sleep, nothing more. The situation seemed so ludicrous, in fact, that he would have laughed. He would have, if he didn't have a reputation to uphold, even if he _was_ the only person present in the room.

"I know you aren't real," he told the apparition. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized how foolish they sounded. He _really_ had to catch up on his sleep before one of the Professors noticed this. Intent on simply ignoring the 'illusion', he turned once more to his desk and took the remaining exams and placed them into a separate section of his bag.

"Oh come on Snivellus. You can't ignore me forever. You don't _actually_ believe that I'm simply a figment of your imagination, do you? Explain how I can do _this_, then."

With that, Sirius lunged forward towards Snape, traveling through the other man's body completely before circling the room and flying back to his original position, a large grin pasted permanently on his face. Snape all but shivered from the icy cold blast he had received when the spirit had flown through him. He had only ever felt that when a _ghost_ passed through him. Could it be? Was this really Sirius?

To say that Snape was freaking out would be the understatement of the year. When Sirius let out a maniacal scream, a frightening sound of joy, Snape bolted out the door of his room and ran down the stairs. There was no way in **hell** that he would be left alone in a room with a dead Marauder. Sirius grinned, and floated through the door. Phase one of their plan was complete.

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"Severus please calm down. What are you trying to tell us?"

Dumbledore was confused and, though he would not readily admit it, worried. There was very little that would shake Severus up, let alone cause him to run down the stairs and into the kitchen like a maniac (in his night clothes no less). All Dumbledore had understood from the other man's fast speech were the words 'Sirius' and 'back', before he slouched down into the nearest chair, trying to regain both his breath and his usual composure.

Could what Severus was trying to say be true? Snape took another few breaths before explaining. His usual rigid self-restraint was back in place, now that the original threat had passed, and only a small tinge of red remained on his cheeks. Snape explained the events that had transpired in his room, from the coalescing mist to Sirius' 'ghost'.

Remus, Harry and Sirius were watching these events with hilarity, only an Illusion spell keeping the others unaware of their presence. The remaining Order members from the meeting were talking rapidly amongst themselves, trying to figure out the best course of action. Next came part two of their plan. Sirius saluted the others like a soldier preparing for battle. As Harry and Remus sat down to enjoy the show, Sirius floated down into the kitchen.

Sirius made cackling noises again. Snape spun around quickly, to see Sirius' ghostly figure once more. Snape cried out, and jumped out of his chair, old Occulmency resolve fading instantaneously at the sight of the other ghost. He had been desperately trying to convince himself that he had been imagining things, but the ghost was _back_. "See!" he cried, pointing at the specter. "Sirius' ghost is _here_. I say we get rid of it, and put it back where it belongs!"

Snape turned around to see everyone staring unblinkingly at him as if he had lost his mind. "Severus, are you okay?" Dumbledore asked, curious as to why one of his calmest colleagues was pointing at mid-air and screaming about Sirius' ghost.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN AM I OKAY? Don't you see a GHOST floating five feet above us? And you ask me if I'm OKAY?"

By this point, most of the other Order members had backed away a considerable distance, trying to put as much distance between them and the raving man, without seeming intimidated. Dumbledore tried again. "Severus, are you sure that what you are seeing is real? None of us can see anything." Dumbledore was confident that Severus' lack of sleep was taking its toll on him, and was positive that it had nothing to do with Voldemort. Grimmauld Place's defense had increased tenfold since last year, and now included magical detectors whose sole function was to locate any traces of magic having been cast by Voldemort recently, or magic whose purpose was still in place. Dumbledore made sure not to include the Avada Kedavra spell in general, so that when Harry moved back in, the detectors would not be ringing incessantly. As he had not heard any alarms ringing, he was sure that Voldemort was not the cause of Severus' illusions.

Snape, meanwhile, was ducking for cover every few seconds to avoid Sirius' wrath. Sirius was shooting various spells in his direction every few seconds, which resulted in Snape running around the room like a madman. Harry and Remus had tears running down their cheeks from the scene, and Harry was on the floor dying from peals of laughter.

When Harry recovered and regained his composure, he sat back up and studied the amusing scene before him. Just as he was looking at Dumbledore, he froze. All of the other Order members had similar auras, with a few slightly brighter than others, but no big differences between them. However, Dumbledore's aura was much brighter than everyone else's, and had many additional colors streaked through it. Was that how Dumbledore had been able to defeat Grindlewald, and why he was such a distinguished wizard? Harry knew that Dumbledore was more powerful than most, and the brightness of his aura proved that. Harry didn't know what he had been expecting, but somehow seeing the older man's aura brought the facts to life.

He sighed, trying to examine his feelings towards the elder wizard. Harry knew that he would, eventually, forgive Dumbledore for last years actions. However, he wasn't ready to forgive him yet. Not until Dumbledore realized that his actions were wrong, and promised never to treat Harry like his pawn again. Harry sighed (an action he was doing very often these days) and decided not to think about these things until they came up. He looked up at the scene before him, and realized that Dumbledore had had enough.

Dumbledore cast a quick Petrificus Totalus on Severus. He then addressed the rest of the Order members, "I believe a quick Dreamless Sleep Potion should do the trick, and we will have the old Severus back in no time." He walked towards one of the cabinet doors and opened it. It appeared to be full of various potions' ingredients. However, when he put his hand through them, they disappeared. He found a latch at the back of the cabinet and opened it. The second cabinet was filled with ready-made potions. He grabbed the closest bottle and closed both doors. The bottle in his hand was labeled 'Dreamless Sleep'. Harry stored the information for future reference.

Sirius frowned; this wasn't going to be any fun. He had to stop Dumbledore from giving the potion to Snape. He flew quickly back to his two accomplices, an idea forming in his mind. He could see Harry's and Remus' eyes glow brightly as well. He joined them, and the three shared their ideas, which all happened to be very similar. After a few, quick spells, the new Phase Three was in action.

Sirius flew down to Dumbledore, and snatched the potion out of his hand. He flew all around the room, a large grin permanently pasted on his face as he reached faster and faster speeds. He laughed freely when he saw the shocked faces of those below him. To them, the Dreamless Sleep Potion seemed to jump right out of Dumbledore's hand and fly around the room for no apparent reason.

As soon as the Order members had regained their senses, spells began to fly from every direction as they tried to hit the potion. The members had entered panic mode, and the spells were increasing in both difficulty and speed. Those that did manage to hit their intended target simply bounced off, a side affect of the Impervious Spell Remus had come to cast. Most spells, however, missed their speeding target by a long mile, and hit nearby furniture. Needless to say, the room looked as if a V5 tornado had come in, effectively striking everything in its path.

Mad-Eye was the most prominent of them, shooting spells faster than most present, despite his leg. Dumbledore alone did not shoot spells at the potion, but rather stayed back and assessed the scene. He seemed to realize that something was amiss, but couldn't tell what.

When Sirius tired of simply flying around in circles, he took out his wand and began to shoot spells back at the Order members. Talk about a training day! Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Harry and Remus were having a field day watching the Order members, who seemed to be flying just as much as their spells were. In an attempt to dodge the spells cast by the "potion bottle", the Order members were diving every which way, trying to cast their own as they dove.

Remus and Harry decided to execute the next part of their plan. Choosing Tonks as their victim, they cast a quick spell on her to enable her to see through Sirius' disguise. Harry nodded to himself as he noticed that Tonks' aura was streaked with more Transfiguratory magic than anyone else in the room, due to her Metamorphmagus capabilities. Tonks shrieks were loud enough to make all heads turn.

"Merlin! Snape wasn't kidding. It really IS Sirius up there!" Tonks yelled, pointing up at Sirius' floating form.

The Order members looked from Tonks, to the potion bottle (which had stopped in midair) and back to Tonks. Who to trust: Tonks or their own eyes? Many Order members still had their wands trained at the potion bottle, watching Tonks but keeping the bottle in their peripheral vision. Some seemed hesitant about it, and did not stop looking between the two. Tonks, meanwhile, was practically hysterical, still screaming nonsense about Sirius being back.

Remus and Harry grinned, and shot a spell identical to the one they had shot at Tonks to Kingsley Shacklebolt. The tall black wizard recoiled as he, too, saw Sirius' form floating above him, holding onto the Dreamless Sleep Potion and cackling like mad.

Kingsley's deep voice boomed in the room and he was shocked beyond his wits. Among bouts of swearing uncommon to the man, these words could be distinguished, "Merlin ... SIRIUS ... dead ... back..."

Dumbledore's head was the first to swerve around, the other Order members following along. Not one, but two Order members were now claiming to see Sirius, Snape not included. The gears in Dumbledore's brain began to spin. "Emmeline, please get Remus from upstairs. I do believe we should have called him a while back. I hadn't wanted to disturb him but... " Dumbledore's voice trailed off for several sections. "Please bring him downstairs, whether or not he is sleeping."

Remus and Harry shared identical looks of amusement before Remus ran up the stairs and into his room. He quickly undid the Illusion spell on him and jumped into bed. He grabbed the nearest book and opened it to a random page. He tried to control his breathing and pretend that he was reading as he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Remus called, pretending not to know what Emmeline was doing outside his door. She opened the door tentatively. She seemed about to explain what she was doing at his inquisitive looks, but gave up before she even started and motioned for him to follow her. He jumped out of bed and followed her, years of practice allowing him to paste a questioning look on his face with ease, as though he had no idea what was going on. As the two made their way downstairs, a plan of action had already formed in his mind. When Emmeline wasn't looking, Remus nodded quickly at Harry.

Remus followed Emmeline to find Dumbledore and the other Order members in the same state of disarray as when he had left. The only difference that could be seen was Snape, the spell on whom had been apparently released by Sirius. Snape was firing spells at the ghost a mile a minute. His robes were covered with multiple footprints coming from many different angles, due to the number of Order members that had tripped off his body in an attempt to dodge Sirius' spells. His hair was in an extreme state of disarray, so unlike the professor that it had Harry laughing all over again.

Tonks and Shacklebolt refused to let down, still claiming that they saw Sirius' ghost floating above them. The two of them were trying to hold Snape down and prevent him from shooting spells at the 'fallen Marauder'. Sirius, who was still flying freely around the room, dodging the few spells that were being sent at him but not bothering to send any of his own, winked down at Remus and smiled. Remus could tell that his friend was eagerly awaiting what would happen next.

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A/N: Congratulations to all those that figured out what I had planned this chapter! Next chapter will be up as soon as possible, hopefully in two weeks! See you all then. Thanks to all those that reviewed! I got 75 reviews this chapter! That is amazing.

Now on to the review responses:

**Nimbirosa**: Procrastinating? No, simply doing my homework. Plus, with all the other activities I do… How dare you say I am a procrastinator! Did someone miss her Nobility Lessons as a child? lmao Thanks for the review, and I shall review your stories as soon as I can!

**Khadon: **Good job! You were one of the only ones who correctly guessed what Sirius would do!

**Stahchild: **You're right; I won't make Harry into a **major** prankster. He's too busy with Voldemort, and besides, he isn't a carbon copy of his father. He will, however, often play pranks on Sirius, and perhaps even Merlin! Hope you don't mind.

**Dr. Gero: **Thanks for realizing my mistake. I'll fix it as soon as I can. Thanks for the review!

**TuxedoMac**: Thanks for the review! You were one of the only ones to realize what Sirius was going to do! Good job!

**Lucas13**: Thanks for the review. Now, this question might seem random if you aren't who I think you are, but are you Lucas from camp? You'll know what I mean if you are the Lucas I think you are… Hope I haven't confused you.

**Lord Sauron the Deceiver**: Thanks for the review! Thanks for realizing my mistake! I'll fix it as soon as I can.

**Aishwarya**: OMG! I love you! Thanks for all of these reviews! You are the best. You can still have your chapter with gravitational training, of course I don't mind! Glad you realized that Harry has all four houses in him, and that you agree with me! And the only reason that the Dursleys became quiet was because they had been talking about him!!! Oops... guess I didn't' make that clear enough.

**RealityIntrovert**: Thanks for the review! Glad to have you on the band wagon. Someone on a sugar high? Of course you can have your virtual double dark chocolate with chocolate chucks brownie and cool whip on the top with chocolate sprinkles and with a glass of hot chocolate milk! I just baked an entire virtual batch just for you!

**Phoebe-H**: Thanks for the review! So what if you had to stay up 'till "midnight and a half"? That's what best friends are SUPPOSED to do! You liked the broom part! Thanks, that means so much to me. cough cough Exams? Important? I don't see _you_ studying! Neways, I don't have anything else to say to you, so bye!

Thanks for all of the reviews! However, as many as there were that reviewed my chapter, there are many who don't (and who are on my author alert and favorites lists). There are actually over 150 of you guys reading my story! It doesn't take THAT long to review. (though many of you seem to disagree)! I expect at least 80 of you to review this next chapter, and I don't feel that I am demanding too much! Go on now, please review! So I should have about 280 reviews by the time by next chapter goes up! It isn't too hard. It takes me hours to write, so I deserve that much! If you've stuck with me this long, then don't I deserve a bit more? If more of you review, then the chapter will get longer!

I promise that next chapter will have more training for Harry. I'll try to include Ginny in there somehow, but no promises. To all the H/G shippers out there that are eagerly awaiting the romance: don't worry, it's going to come soon enough!

Here are some virtual Chocolate Muffins that I baked. I noticed that many of you enjoyed my cookies! If there are any other things that you want me to bake, just ask in my reviews! Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

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	13. Trainers From Hell and Beyond

Celestial Guidance

by: FlyingPixie

Disclaimer: Everything in this fic that you recognize does not belong to me, and it never will. If you have yet to realize this after reading twelve chapters of my fic, then you need help. I repeat: I AM NOT JK ROWLING! Now that you know this, you can go read my fic!

A/N: Hey everyone! Do you realize how long this chapter is? Over 10 000 words! Yes, all of your pressuring finally made me realize that chapters need to be longer so that the story can finally progress beyond the fifth day of Harry's summer! The next few chapters are important, and will not have much progression, but I expect that once the fundamentals of my story are set that the days will pass quickly! In the interim, I hope that everyone stays will me and enjoys the ride!

IMPORTANT: I was re-reading the last chapter of my story, when I realized that, in my author's note, I asked for a certain amount of reviews. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry about that. I really don't like threatening people, and had taken it off the final copy. I must have posted the wrong version, however, as it still appeared in the chapter! I love reviews sooo much, but I don't want to force them. If you really like my story, and have gotten so far, then you should review and that is that. So I apologize for my mistake. Forgive me?

Now go on, and read the fabulous chapter I have written! Consider it a gift for the holidays!

* * *

Trainers from Hell and Beyond

_Pain is temporary. Giving up is forever._

- Lance Armstrong

* * *

"Remus, glad to see you've come down," Dumbledore called. His twinkle-less eyes, however, knocked down his falsely jovial voice, and it was obvious that the elderly wizard had a lot on his mind. At his words, all the Order members stopped what they were doing to look at the newly arrived member. All the yelling was hushed to a barely audible whisper, as everyone wanted to see what was about to happen.

Had Remus not already seen first-hand what had been going on in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, he would surely have wondered what the disarray was all about. Remus was sure that he would have laughed, despite the fact that he had been in mourning...

Remus turned his thoughts away from such dark places. Sirius was back, and there was nothing more to say about it. Remus was not one to live in the past when there was a bright future to come. He did not want to have to re-live the past dark months that had been filled with such pain and misery.

Remus stood, lost in thought, as Dumbledore pondered about how best to phrase his next question. Remus turned his thoughts towards the situation before him. There were many ways this prank could play out, all depending on how he played his next move. He could pretend not to see Sirius at all, and act as if the Order members had gone insane. He shot that aspect down almost immediately, as it would force him to play the part of a mourning friend. That was something he did not want to do, as the wounds were still fresh in his mind.

He could always pretend to see Sirius floating up above him, and act really terrified by it. Remus gave out a mental sigh. Though better than the previous option, it would still require much emotional acting from his part. He had been through enough of an emotional roller coaster for one day.

That left one last option. _This would play out perfectly, just as long as he didn't die laughing first._ Remus' musings were cut short by Dumbledore's next words.

"Remus," he said tentatively, so unlike the old man. _When one is dealing with a mourning man, one always has to be careful._ "Remus, please look up and tell us if you see anything floating above our heads?"

Remus complied, looking towards Sirius, who was still holding the Dreamless Sleep Potion.

"Why of course I do," he answered Dumbledore's query, knowing that he must have been frustrating people, as he was not being very specific.

Dumbledore tried once more, "What is it that you see?"

"Why, Sirius is floating lazily above all of our heads, holding a Dreamless Sleep Potion in his hands," Remus answered, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world (and it was to him), and that they were all wasting his time by asking such trivial questions. Remus nodded towards Sirius, and smiled at him. "Why do you ask?"

At his words, the Order members were even more confounded. Something wasn't right here, but they simply couldn't find the missing link. Sirius, Remus' best friend, had recently passed away. Remus had become distant as he fell into mourning, but now was seeing Sirius' ghost and acting as though he didn't have a care in the world. Since most of the people in the room could not see Sirius in the first place, this proved very difficult to understand.

Tonks and Shacklebolt nodded their heads in unison, happy to have another person agreeing with them. Snape, however, stomped towards Remus and yelled before anyone could stop him.

"I don't know what spell you've cast but you HAD BETTER TAKE IT OFF BEFORE I CURSE YOU INTO THE NEXT WEEK! I WANT BLACK OUT OF HERE NOW!" Snape yelled at the werewolf, positive that it was Remus who had called upon Sirius' ghost.

Dumbledore tried to diffuse the growing situation. "Remus, may you please share your insight as to why Sirius' ghost is floating above us."

"Why don't you ask him yourself? I'm sure he would be able to provide a much better insight on the matter than I would, don't you agree?" Remus returned.

Dumbledore didn't know what to answer. Though he was not able to see Sirius' ghost, it was apparent that something had to be floating above everyone. Wondering why he had not thought of it sooner, Dumbledore tapped into his magical core. Pulling on his Second Sight abilities, he looked at the Dreamless Sleep Potion. Sure enough, there was a great source of energy lying near the potion. Tapping into greater amounts of his power made the energy take on a human form. Sure enough, it was Sirius' form. Dumbledore did a final check to make sure he was correct and that Sirius was not an imposter, before sighing audibly.

Harry, meanwhile, had been amusing himself watching the events unfold when he noticed what Dumbledore was doing, using his own Second Sight. Harry sighed. His first prank with the Marauders had been fun while it had lasted, but now he had some serious explaining to do.

Harry was glad that, in all the confusion, Dumbledore had forgotten to use his magic to investigate the claims made by Snape, Tonks and Shacklebolt. Harry wondered why that was. Perhaps his dual with Voldemort had tired him more than he let on? He shrugged; it would take a lifetime to understand the workings of that man.

Harry stood and walked up to Remus. "Pro – Moony, I think Dumbledore is on to us."

Remus pretended not to notice Harry's slip, but rather moved his gaze to Dumbledore. One look at the aged wizard's twinkling eyes proved Harry's point.

Dumbledore was the next to speak, "Sirius, please come down now. You two have serious explaining to do." When Dumbledore looked back at Remus, he noticed Harry for the first time. His eyes twinkled with even more ferocity. Harry simply nodded in his Headmaster's direction, fierce emerald orbs staring into Dumbledore's blue ones, as if in challenge.

Harry had yet to forget what the old wizard had done to him, and would not be quick to forget. Dumbledore's eyes lost their mirth, and Harry once again sensed how old Dumbledore truly was. Dumbledore sighed, and turned away from Harry, no longer able to keep his gaze. They would have to talk later; both of them knew it.

Sirius floated down, releasing all the spells on him with a quick wave of his wand and a few choice words. He walked into the large sitting room and sat down on the nearest couch. Mad-Eye made to stun him on the spot, but Dumbledore shook his head, and followed Sirius into the sitting room. He took the couch opposite him, eyes twinkling ever brightly. Remus followed their examples and sat beside Sirius. The remaining people were shocked senseless for a few moments before hurrying into the sitting room to hear the explanations.

Harry followed Sirius' previous example and removed all the spells on his person. One united gasp was heard in the room as the spell was lifted. Molly Weasley ran across and enveloped Harry in an all-encompassing hug. When she noticed he couldn't breathe properly, she gave him some space. His blushed softly at the motherly affection he had yet to get used to. Mrs. Weasley noticed this and tutted softly under her breath, no doubt ranting mentally at the Dursley's' lack of attention.

Smiling at him, she walked back and joined her husband, wanting as eagerly as everyone else to hear the explanations. Noticing that no one was ready to speak up, Sirius spoke first.

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," he started, his statement arousing laughter among many people. "To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how everything happened. The last thing I can remember was dueling Lestrange," he spat the name out like a curse before continuing. "I can vaguely remember falling through the veil. The rest is blank, and the last thing I can remember is waking up weeks later in an empty Department of Mysteries, having no idea what had happened.

"When I found out how much time had passed, and realized that everyone thought that I had passed away, I decided to pay Harry a little visit. After which point the two of us decided that Remus should find out as well."

Sirius was interrupted immediately by Moody. "What have I continuously warned you about? CONSTANT VIGILANCE! You _could_ _have been seen_. Even worse, someone could have recognized you!"

Sirius simply laughed. "Don't worry, I took the necessary precautions. Almost identical to the ones taken last summer, so no need to worry. Now, where was I," he paused several seconds for effect. "Yes, I remember. We had arrived at Grimmauld Place and were about to enter when we realized that it would be more efficient to have Remus realize the great news first, before having everyone else find out. We cast the Illusion Spell on ourselves so that no one would notice our presence until we reached his room." Several people in the room (those that were aware of the amount of practice and magic it took to get that spell to work) were visibly impressed, and gasped audibly. Harry noticed that Moody had gone pensive, as though reviewing the last few hours in his mind.

"When we finally managed to convince Remus that we truly are who we say we are," Sirius shot Remus a smile and winked, "I, or rather we, decided to play a ... prank of sorts to have everyone else know the truth." Sirius smiled unashamedly, beaming openly at the success of his prank. Of _their_ prank.

During Sirius' speech, Harry noticed Dumbledore looking at him oddly, casting curious glances his way every so often. _Could Dumbledore detect his unleashed magic?_ He hoped not. Harry's thoughts were interrupted by Moody's next question.

"Am I correct in saying that you used the Illusion spell on yourselves during the prank?" Moody asked.

"Yes we did."

Moody nodded, as though everything had suddenly become clearer to him. "That would explain why I was not able to see through the spell. My eye allows for me to see completely through most spells and enchantments. For more powerful ones, such as the Illusion spell however, I am not able to detect any changes. This explains why I couldn't see Sirius floating." Moody looked relieved. It was obvious that he had been worried that he had not been able to see Sirius due to a defect in his magical eye.

"Don't worry, all of us were too caught up in trying to get the Potion back and trying to figure out what was going on that none of us thought to form a good plan. We are all partly to blame," Dumbledore said, becoming serious again. Everyone's mood decreased considerably; they all understood the underlying message in his words. They all had to work harder now that the Second War of Voldemort was upon them.

"So there you have it. Now what do we do? I propose that I live with Harry for the remainder of the summer," Sirius said.

Dumbledore was the first to reply, "We must bring Harry home immediately. When we return we can decide where you will be staying for the summer." There was a certain finality in his voice that none but a few Order members would ever contradict. Sirius was not known to stand by rather than fight for what he believed in.

Sirius stood up, glaring at Dumbledore with as much anger as he could muster. Both Remus and Harry showed equal looks of anger, but decided to let Sirius handle this battle. The three of them knew the contents of the fateful prophecy, and knew that Harry had to begin making his own decisions.

Sirius gave Dumbledore a look that showed that he did, in fact, know the 'big secret'. "We are no longer going to exclude Harry from anything concerning him **in any way**. Harry is **mature** enough now to help in making decisions, and should no longer be excluded. Wouldn't you agree? Especially now that he has so much on his shoulders."

The room had taken on a deadly silence during his rant at Dumbledore. Few would dare talk to Dumbledore in that tone of voice. What surprised everyone even more, however, was Dumbledore's reaction. He nodded once, and led the way into the Order's meeting room.

"It's about time that I learned from my mistakes. I believe that Harry is ready to join the Order, so that he can help make decisions."

Snape and Mrs. Weasley both shouted out in unison, "He can't join the Order. He's much too young!" They looked at each other, taken aback at the other's words.

"I have waited much too long to have Harry join the Order. He is ready, there is nothing more to be said."

Mrs. Weasley looked ready to run up and hex Dumbledore herself. She would have, were it not for Mr. Weasley's hand gently stopping her. She looked up at him, and he nodded. They both knew that it was time for him to join, for it was obvious that he would be – was – one of Voldemort's primary targets, judging from Voldemort's actions the past few years. Though they both considered him their son, they understood the need for Harry to be well informed. They simply did not want to lose another innocent child to the effects of the war, as the twins had joined the Order at the beginning of the summer.

Harry himself looked completely taken aback by Dumbledore's words. He had, of course, always wanted to join the Order. He felt he was ready to help in the decision making, and to take part in the fights. The prophecy further fueled the need for him to be part of the Order. However, would their meetings affect his training? He could always get the information he needed from Sirius.

However, he knew that there was more to him joining the Order than what met the eye, more than just the information aspect, and the fact that he would be allowed to give his own input. Not only would he be further surrounded by other Order members for increased safety, but he would have an increased status position.

Harry knew that sooner or later the Order would have to find out about the Prophecy (though Harry preferred later rather than sooner) as its contents were consequential. The Prophecy affected every Order member, as Harry was the only one who could take down Voldemort (the biggest threat to the wizarding world). He knew that everyone still considered him a child, and thought that Dumbledore would be the one to Voldemort. That last thought made him pause. He had been so caught up in the thought that _he_, Harry Potter, would have to be the one to kill Voldemort that he had not stopped to think before that moment of how others would take the news.

If, when they found out, they already regarded him with respect, than the news would come easier to them. Not simply regarding him with the respect of being the one to stop Voldemort when he was a baby, but the earned respect he hoped he could achieve if they saw the maturity he had gained, that most children did not have.

In fact, it was a maturity that even many adults had yet to achieve. He had faced Voldemort one-on-one more times than many of the people in the room could imagine. Though it had been sheer luck, coupled with other people's help and his ability to think on his feet that saved him, he had still learned much from those encounters.

Harry had lost his innocence at a very early age, one of the prices he had to pay because of the Prophecy, and because Voldemort had chosen him over Neville. If he could help out in the Order, than perhaps he could truly become their leader. Harry laughed internally. He was taking his thoughts way too far. He could never even _dream_ of becoming their leader. For all his maturity, he would always be seen as a child in their eyes. He sighed; perhaps he could still be very influential.

Harry looked up at Dumbledore, and nodded his assent. He would join the Order. Dumbledore seemed taken aback by the look of sheer determination to prove himself that he saw in Harry's bright eyes, but quickly got over it and nodded as well. However, Harry could still sense that Dumbledore was puzzled, though Harry couldn't understand why.

Suddenly, he saw a few solitary threads of Dumbledore's magic separate from his core and travel directly at him. Stunned, Harry's primary instincts took over. Having neither the time nor the necessary practice to sort through his magic in time, he took many tendrils of his own pure magic and sent it out to deflect Dumbledore's magic. Dumbledore's eyes widened immensely.

Not wanting to get into how he was able to do that, Harry looked at the older man as though nothing had happened. His acting skills were adequate enough (after all those years of practice with the Dursleys), and Dumbledore did not comment. Harry knew, however, that this was not the last he would hear of this. Already he could picture the gears in Dumbledore's mind turning, trying to find a logical explanation for what had occurred. In the meantime, however, he would simply let it go. They had more pressing issues to deal with, for which Harry was thankful. It gave him time to think of an excuse.

Dumbledore was about to lead them into the Order's meeting room when he noticed the time. During the big commotion in the kitchen, and the great news of Sirius' return, no one had realized quite how much time had passed. The sun had set long ago, and shadows covered the world.

Sighing, Dumbledore realized that his plans would have to wait for the next morning. He voiced his thoughts, and everyone agreed that it would be best to wait for the following day to make the important decisions that had to be made, allowing for everyone to sleep on it.

Sighing, many of the Order members left for home, promising to return in the morrow. The Weasleys offered to have Harry over at their house, but Dumbledore insisted that it would be much safer to have Harry spend the night at Grimmauld Place. Even Mrs. Weasley could not argue with that logic, and she and her husband left for the Burrow.

Seeing no other choice, Harry resigned himself to spending the night at Grimmauld Place. He would have given almost anything to have spent the night at the Burrow. He desperately wanted to spend some time with the Weasleys, even if it wouldn't have been for very long. Harry missed Ron and, he realized suddenly, Ginny.

Shaking his head, Harry climbed several steps and reached the second floor landing. Sirius showed him into a room he had never before entered, whose layout was very similar to the room he had slept in last year.

Without warning, Sirius hugged his godson with all his might, obviously not wanting to let go any time soon. Harry returned the hug, happy to have his godfather back with him. His time without Sirius had been filled with misery and pain that he had been forced to keep at bay so that it would not overwhelm him. The events of the day coupled with the raging emotions within him caused several tears to trail unbidden down his cheeks.

Sirius noticed this. He led Harry to the bed and quickly wiped the tears away, as a parent would for his child. Harry had been through so much, and both knew that the worst was yet to come. Sirius cried mentally at the injustice of it all to any gods listening. Harry should not have ever had to endure the pain he had gone through. Sirius knew that Harry had reached a high level of maturity already, and had lost his innocence at a very young age. He wished more than anything that he could give those lost childhood years back to his godson, but knew that, despite all the magic in the world, his wish could never be granted.

Sirius hugged Harry once more. "We've both had a difficult day. Why don't you get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."

Harry, however, was not about to let his godfather go that easily. While Sirius remembered next to nothing about his time away, Harry's time had been filled with mourning and grief. Now that he had his godfather back, the closest person he had to a real father, he was not going to let go.

Sirius, realizing that he was never going to win (especially since a large part of him wanted to stay) told Harry that he would spend the night in this room as well. Harry smiled, happy that he would have his godfather close by.

"You know, we should get Remus as well," Harry said, getting used to calling his old Professor by his first name.

It was to these words that Remus entered the room. He smiled as he heard them, happy not to have been excluded from the small sleepover party that had gathered. Remus transfigured a bed on the opposite end of the other two, and undid the sheets. He smiled at the two closest people he had to a family. As horrible as the next few months would be, Remus was happy that he could share a few moments of peace with them, at least for the time being.

As Harry unmade the bed, his thoughts drifted to what would happen at the Order meeting the next day, and whether or not he would be allowed to join their members. As for Sirius... Harry hoped that he would be allowed to stay at Privet Drive for the remainder of Harry's time there. It would be nice to have someone other than the miserable Dursleys occupying that house with him. Even better, having Sirius around would mean that Harry would have a real dueling partner.

Harry climbed into bed. Bidding the other two occupants of the room good-night, he emptied his mind as best as he could before falling quickly asleep, the day's events getting the better of him. Harry vaguely wondered what was in store for him in the Dream World before he entered Morpheus' lands, and sleep engulfed him completely.

* * *

Harry entered the Dream World for the fifth time in as many days. He looked around the room, and was happy to see that he was able to see the brilliant lights of the magic around him without water gathering at his eyes. As always, Merlin was correct. He _had_ gotten used to his Second Sight abilities.

Mind swirling with questions, Harry decided that he would finally ask Merlin questions, and would make sure to get his answers once and for all.

Merlin appeared shortly after Harry's arrival, looking slightly flustered. His eyes, however, shone brilliantly none-the-less as he motioned for his young charge to follow him. Merlin smiled internally as he saw how happy his charge was. The Fates had, of course, informed him as to how Sirius had come to life. Merlin spoke before Harry even had the time to open his mouth.

"We have much to discuss Harry. Please take a seat."

With a wave of his hand, a bench appeared before them. Harry knew that Merlin did not have to wave his hand to perform the magic, and only did so to add a flourish to his works.

Merlin took a seat, and Harry followed swiftly. The aged wizard sighed softly and began.

"I must apologize to you Harry. Things around here have been rather – hectic, and not as organized as I would have wanted. Now that everything is under control for the time being, however, I hope that your training can be much more fluent than in the past. The Guidance Council and I have created a training schedule for you, that you will follow every time you enter the Dream World."

Harry nodded, ready to begin his training. He still had, however, several questions he wished to ask of the ancient wizard.

"Am I still going to get visions from Voldemort while in the Dream World?" he asked, curious. Harry had yet to get any nightmares up until that point, but that did not mean that more would not come.

"Yes, it is still possible for you to get these nightmares. Even when you learn Occulmency, you will not be able to fully eliminate them. Nalani and Mandara will be able to explain it better than I will, so I will give them the pleasures of doing so. As your visions usually only occur when you dream, you will have them before entering the Dream World. The Dream World is a misnomer, and I must confess that even I am a bit confused as to how it works. While on this Plane, you are neither sleeping, nor are you awake. You do not actually enter the Dream World while you are dreaming, but before you are about to wake up, or before you enter another cycle of sleep. Usually, however, this period of time does not last as long as we would like. Therefore I have tampered with your sleeping cycle."

"Don't worry," Merlin assured Harry hastily as he saw the looks he was receiving from the boy. "The alterations are perfectly harmless, and will simply allow you to spend more time in this World, thus preventing you from waking up in the middle of one of your lessons. I need not remind you that your lessons and training periods are of the utmost importance, and I felt it necessary to alter your sleep so that you do not depart during your lesson as you did with Hufflepuff last week – I mean yesterday.

"Sorry, it does sometimes become a bit confusing, as time travels so much faster here than it does in your world. I only saw you last week in my time, but for you it was only yesterday. I have altered the World to heal your body and replenish your energy every time you leave, so each morning you will awaken replenished and refreshed. I also realized that your training will also quickly deplete both your magical and physical reserves, and thus after every person you finish training with, your reserves with replenish again," Merlin said.

"If I am forced to have constant spells and potions given to me day after day, won't there be negative consequences to my body?" Harry asked, remembering what Hufflepuff had warned him about ingesting too many healing potions.

"True, but I altered the Dream World again to counter the negative affects of ingesting too many potions and undergoing too many spells."

To eradicate the effects of too much magic, the solution lay with using more magic!

"Now, as I am sure that you are wondering, your training schedule is as follows. I realize that you have already begun your training with several people, while you have yet to meet many others. Rather than have you train with those that you have never met before using this schedule, we all felt that establishing it now would have the best results. Nedra, followed by Kael will be the first two to train you. Nalani and Mandara will be the next two. The four Hogwarts founders will be the next four in the schedule. Ravenclaw will begin, followed by Gryffindor, continuing with Slytherin and ending finally with Hufflepuff. Ryder will be next after the Founders, and I will be your last trainer before you leave the Dream World. I realize that this may be a lot to digest, but you will quickly become accustomed to the changes.

"I would also like it if you expended as much energy as possible during the day, which I am assured will not be a problem with the rigorous training schedule the Council expects you to follow while you are awake. This way, your body will automatically sleep for a longer period of time, allowing us to train longer with you."

Another question flitted through Harry's mind.

"Nedra mentioned that the Dream World is not a very versatile Plane, and that is why we travel to an alternate dimension to train under increased gravity. If the Dream World is not so versatile, then how are you able to make so many changes?" Harry asked.

"What Nedra said is exactly correct. However, while the Dream World itself is not very adaptable, all entrances and exits to this Plane are, which is why I chose this as the ideal Plane on which to build the Dream World."

Merlin's eyes twinkled ever brightly. Harry had to hand it to him however: the man truly _did_ manage to think of everything. Merlin realized that Harry had more questions, and allowed his young charge to reorganize his thoughts. While he waited, he examined Harry. He was Merlin's youngest charge in history, save Arthur, whose training had started at birth because his father had hired Merlin.

Harry, however, was faring better than expected. He bore his burden without too much complaining, and had enough determination to carry out his tasks to the fullest without ever letting down. Merlin knew that this would take Harry very far, and he had no doubt that Harry would soon be able to have full control over his magic. He did not voice his thoughts, however, as he did not want to get his charge's hopes too high. Merlin looked down at Harry and noticed that he was ready.

"Are other people with Second Sight able to see the change in my magical potential, now that I've unleashed it?"

Merlin had to hand it to Harry. He sure knew how to ask pertinent questions.

"Yes, they will be able to see them. I have, however, spelled your magic so that the newly unleashed parts are not visible, until you learn how to disguise your magic without my aid."

Harry nodded, only slightly peeved at the fact that Merlin had placed another spell on him without his consent. He knew that Merlin only had his best intentions at heart, and it was obvious that the older wizard would have told him in due time. He probably would even have informed him sooner had he not been so preoccupied.

"Was it your doing to change my room into my own personal library and ultimate training area?"

Merlin's eyes twinkled even more at the memory.

"Yes, it was I who cast the spells. However, you can thank your individual trainers for each of the objects they decided to put there for you. I assume that the nature of each of the objects and rooms will become apparent soon enough," Merlin answered.

Harry then remembered the question that had been bothering him since he had first seen Sirius that morning.

"Merlin, how is it that Sirius came back to life? I saw as well as anyone that he fell through the Veil at the Department of Mysteries. Of course I'm not complaining," Harry added with a smile. "I simply would like to know more. I don't like being left in the dark."

Merlin nodded. He looked upwards for several seconds, communicating with the Fates. Harry simply looked on. He saw tendrils of magic flow up from Merlin, and more tendrils of a different source travel downwards and into the other man. _Strange_, Harry thought to himself. He had never seen any magic quite like that one.

"Unfortunately Harry, I am not permitted as of yet to answer your question. Please do not take this the wrong way. If it were my decision you would find out right away. Certain beings however –," Merlin glared up at the sky, "– decided that now is not the right time for you to know. I am assured that you will find out when the time is ready, which is approaching swiftly. Many of your questions will be answered then."

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously for several seconds, but his anger had dissipated by the time Merlin was finished. He did not like being left out of the loop, but realized that there were powerful beings at work here. If Merlin could tell him, then he would have done so already. Harry would simply have to accept what he could procure, and gain more answers at a later date.

Merlin spoke when Harry had nothing to say. "I would also like to comment on the fact that you decided to inform Sirius of the Celestial Guidance Council. While I completely agree with your decision, I would also like to remind you that if this information were to reach Voldemort in any way, it would have a serious impact on the surprise angle we hope to have. Don't give me that look. I know that you are no longer a child, and I will not treat you as one. I am just warning you of the consequences, and advising you to use **extreme** caution when telling Dumbledore, which I know you will be doing soon."

Harry nodded, and was about to inform Merlin that he had no more questions when he remembered the tall mirror he had seen several times at the entrance to the Dream World. Harry asked about it, and Merlin smiled again, visibly happy to be able to answer this question.

"The Mirror of Power, or Speculum di Virium as it is called by its Latin name, is an amazing invention created by the early Romans. As they were power-hungry, they created a spell to enchant mirrors to show their full potential. Thus, the clearer your image becomes on the glass, the closer you are to reaching your full potential. Does that answer your question?"

Harry smiled, happy that his mentor was to the point. His answer did not, however, completely answer his question, and left some blanks as to how exactly the mirror worked.

"If the image is to become clearer once a wizard reaches his full potential, then shouldn't the mirror already by clear for me, as I unleashed my magic already?"

Merlin smiled again.

"Honestly Harry. As intelligent as many of your questions are, I find myself having to explain a few points several times over. Due to the fact that you have yet to train completely, you do not have full control over your magic. Without this control, you will be unable to use the potential the power can give you. Thus, though you have already unleashed your magic, the potential is not yet under your grasp. When you have all of your magic under your control, you will have reached your full potential and your reflection in the mirror will be clearer."

Harry noticed that there was more the other wizard was leaving out, but didn't comment. He was sure that his questions would be answered in due time.

"Anyway, we must be getting on to your lessons. We wouldn't want to waste any of our precious time, now would we?"

Merlin stood up, and Harry followed his example. The two walked to Nedra and Kael's chambers in silence. As they reached their destination, Harry's muscles tensed. He prepared himself to greet his trainers from hell. Remembering what happened during his last visit, he made sure that he would be alert and dodge whatever Kael had coming for him. He had already been fooled twice, and didn't plan on being fooled again. He had learned his lesson the last time around.

Harry's muscles remained tense as he entered Nedra and Kael's chambers, ready for an attack. Sure enough, as soon as he had stepped through the door a foot flew out of nowhere and attempted to collide with his head. Harry, who had been ready, ducked in time and delivered his own punch to Kael's stomach. Untrained as he was, however, his punch had little effect on the man. Harry was positive that the fact that he was engaged in a fight with a man standing at 6'7" did not help to settle matters any.

The two stepped away from the door. Harry barely had time to register that his jeans and T-shirt had been replaced by more comfortable work-out clothes as he jumped to avoid being tripped by Kael's low, sweeping kick. He moved his head in time to avoid another kick aimed at his head. Ducking to the side, he tried to kick his opponent's side, to no avail. Kael, fast as ever, had anticipated Harry's move and had spun in time to hit Harry's leg away with his arms.

Kael then proceeded to repeatedly punch Harry in the abdomen. After several seconds, Harry regained his senses and dodged left. He had no time to execute any moves, however, as Kael kicked him in the side, followed by two, rapid punches to the chest.

With an inhuman roar, Kael pushed Harry to the ground. Placing his foot on Harry's neck, he called the fight to an end. Harry knew that the older man had simply been toying with him, and he did not like the feeling. As Kael helped an injured Harry to his feet, Harry saw Nedra emerge from the shadows.

"That fight was – interesting. Your fighting skills leave much to be desired I am afraid, though that is to be expected as you have never had any formal training. Ever wonder how Kael managed to get in so many punches? You have to keep your guard up at all times, to protect your chest area. Most of your vital organs are located there, and you do not want to be punched there by an enemy that will not be as lax as Kael was. We must also improve your speed," Nedra added as an after-thought.

Harry sighed: he had always prided himself on his seeker-reflexes, only realizing now that he was going to have to be even _faster_. He was so focused on what Nedra was saying, however, that he had forgotten to keep an eye out for Kael. Harry soon found himself on the ground, having collided painfully with the opposite wall. He stood slowly, arms and feet in the best fighter's stance he could manage. His head swam slightly, and it took all his concentration to remain standing. He fought back a wave of nausea as his two trainers came towards him.

Nedra threw him a potion. Without asking, Harry downed the contents in one smooth motion. Like most potions, the taste left much to be desired. Within several seconds, however, the pain left his body, and all cuts were healed. Harry visibly relaxed, though did not become off-guard.

"I'm really sorry about that Harry. Don't worry though, you'll thank us one day," Kael said in him deep, booming voice. The man did sound apologetic, and Harry almost forgave him. Almost.

"I understand that Merlin informed you of our schedule changes. I will, as he told you, be the first to train you everyday, so be prepared. Our routine will alternate every second day. Half of the days will be spent increasing your speed, coordination and agility. The other half will be spent working on your fighting and Martial Art skills. Now that we've officially warmed you up, let's start our training, shall we?" Nedra asked.

Resigning himself to a few hours of miserable pain, Harry nodded. Kael disappeared soundlessly, and all of Harry's attention shifted to Nedra. She nodded as well. She instructed him on the best exercises, informing him as to which ones helped stretch which areas of the body, and telling him why they were used. After twenty minutes of stretching, she stood. Harry followed her example. Energized from the exercises, he was ready to face anything she had for him. He told her so, and she simply smiled before turning and waving her hands.

The portal appeared once more before them. Harry followed Nedra through the circular entrance, ignoring the red bolts zapping over its surface. He could barely feel the effects of the healing magic flowing through his body, due to the potion Nedra had given him.

Unlike his last time in the new dimension, Nedra had him start off by running a few laps around the room as a warm up. Neither spoke as they ran together, Nedra setting the pace once more. Harry still struggled slightly under the increased gravity, but did not complain.

Once the laps were finished, Nedra spoke again.

"As Merlin informed you the first day you arrived, I will be improving your speed and agility. This is one of many exercises that Kael and myself have developed to do so."

With another wave of her hand, the scenery around them changed. The room extended as Nedra pulled Harry to the edge of one of the walls. More walls were erected from thin air. As his new training grounds grew, Nedra explained what Harry was to do.

"I want you to travel from one end of the room to the other. Remember that I will be timing you, so speed is of the essence if you wish to improve. There are many challenges placed throughout the course, however, that you must be wary of. And do not forget, you are not allowed to use magic during the course. Are you ready?"

Without waiting for an answer, Nedra led Harry to the start of the course.

"On my mark, you are to start. Three, two, one, GO!"

Head still reeling from what he was about to do, Harry plunged into the trap-filled course. Harry ran up to his first obstacle: a tall, thick wall, covered in vines. Primal instinct taking over, he began climbing the strong vines as fast as he could, using both his arms and legs to pull and push his way up. He lacked a bit of the necessary co-ordination, but still made it to the top of the twenty-foot wall quickly. Or rather, as quickly as he could owing to the increased gravity.

Once he reached the top, drenched in sweat, he noticed that it was thick enough to run on normally. When the choices were running along a wall, or jumping twenty-feet down, Harry chose the former. He started running, trying not to let the height get to him. He had never been afraid of heights; part of the reason he was able to pull very good moves in Quidditch, but running on the ground was never the same as running higher up. It was purely psychological. Though it technically required the same amount of physical strength and dexterity to run higher up as it did to run on the ground (unless it was so high up as to have less oxygen, though Harry did not include that in his thoughts), the mind became nervous higher up, as it calculated that there was a higher risk of death and injury if one fell.

All this and more ran through Harry's mind as he ran on the wall. Soon enough, just after his body had adjusted to the change and he had begun to pick up his pace, the wall ended. Again, Harry was faced with two choices. He could jump down and continue the course from there, or he could jump from his current wall to the next and continue running. He calculated that the other wall was approximately five feet away. Once again not really thinking about it, but rather acting on impulse and instinct, he decided to jump to the other wall.

Harry ran back for several seconds. He drew up his energy, and ran as fast as he could to the edge of the wall he was on before pushing off and landing on the other wall. Without stopping to think about what could have happened to him had he fallen, Harry began to run. He was glad that he had extra energy due to his unleashed magic, or else he was not sure if he would have been able to keep up this long.

The wall was more difficult to run along than the previous one, as it climbed slowly upwards at points and sloped gently downwards at others. It was not horrible, however, and Harry managed to keep up a good pace.

This wall, however, was shorter in length than the previous one, but ended at the same height. At the end of this wall Harry was not given a choice as he had the previous times: he had to jump down in order to continue the course.

At this, Harry was unsure of what to do. Nedra had forbidden him to use magic, and he had to jump twenty feet without falling flat on his face. He was about to jump and face the consequences later (he highly doubted that Nedra would keep him injured for _too_ long, lessons to be learnt or otherwise) when he noticed that the sides of the wall were also covered in vines identical to those he had used to climb up in the first place.

Grinning as adrenaline coursed through his body, Harry began his descent. It was quickly over, as the increased gravity was not against him. Once on the ground again, he began to run quickly, wondering what the next challenge would be. He had only run for a minute when he was upon it.

Two ledges high above Harry began out of nowhere, floating due to a magical spell. The ledges, placed across from each other while leaving the middle section bare, were covered with boulders that fell haphazardly off the ledge of their own accord.

Sighing and muttering profanities under his breath, all the while wondering how Nedra had managed to come up with such a training course, Harry began to run across. Deciding that he was very smart, he decided to run _under_ the ledges, so as not to be hit by oncoming boulders. His ingenious plan, however, quickly failed when he noticed that the bottoms of the floating ledges were covered with a dripping substance. He managed to dodge in time as a large amount of the substance dropped down. Said substance burned a large hole in the ground within seconds. _Nedra thinks of everything..._

Harry ran quickly back to the center, between the two ledges, and continued running. Every few seconds, a boulder would come crashing down. He rarely had to jump very far in order to avoid it before running, but it did slow him down slightly. He tried to keep up a quick pace, but realized that he was tiring. A few mental images of Voldemort and his destruction, however, had Harry's blood boiling and his body moving with increased energy.

As Harry saw through his peripheral vision the two shadows cast by the ledges disappear, he realized that this challenge of the course was over. He only ran several seconds longer when he felt (and saw) healing magic course through his body. His muscles un-tensed, his energy was renewed, and Harry felt ready to continue running.

Before long, Harry was faced with another choice. The path he had been taking forked: he could turn left or he could turn right. Seeing no visible difference between the two paths, and not having the luxury of taking his time to make an educated decision, Harry turned right and continued running.

Harry almost stopped when he saw the next challenge he had to face. Long, sharp axes hung at regular intervals on a levitating ledge thirty feet above him. The axes were hung on hinges, and swung at regular speeds, in a pendulum-type motion. As one axe reached its highest point on the right side, the axe before it and after it would have reached their highest points on the left side.

The axes themselves were forces to be reckoned with. The metal handles ended in large, metal spheres, with over fifty spikes poking out of each one. If any of those axes collided with Harry's side... he didn't want to think of the bloody mess that would certainly ensue.

Harry took in the organized movements of the pendulums without second thought. As he ran towards them, he memorized their rhythms so that he could repeat the opposite while he was running. As easy as it seemed in theory, however, it was very difficult to do in practice. When Nedra had said that she planned to train his speed, agility and coordination, she had not been joking.

Harry thanked that gods above that the movement of the axes was not only regular but relatively slow as well. He ran from left, to right. Back and forth he ran, trying not to be speared. Several times his side narrowly collided with an axe, but he was lucky and had managed to side-step fast enough most times. However, he had missed his footing while attempting to dodge one of the axes, and consequently it grazed his side. He had been lucky not to have a worse injury, but his side stung as he continued to run, and he could feel blood travelling down his side.

Finally, he had dodged his last axe. Harry ran for several more minutes, trying to catch his breath and ignore the pain in his side. He realized that it was during these breaks from challenges that he should increase his speed in order to better his time, and thus increase his speed he did.

The next challenge sprang up before he had time to register it. He fell to the ground roughly (the increased gravity forcing him down quicker than normal gravity would) as the ground he was on began to swing. Unlike the movements of the axes before, however, the ground moved irregularly.

The closest thing that this could relate to was his only memory at a swimming pool. Dudley had had a birthday party there. Much like in the case of the zoo, the Dursley's had been forced to bring Harry along with them. During one of the activities, the party coordinator had placed a mat across the two ends of the deep end, and had the children run across it. So as to make it even more of a challenge, he had begun to shake the mat if he saw that the children were finding it too easy.

Harry remembered with a smile that he had been the only one to make it across without losing his balance and falling into the water. Dudley, on the other hand, had fallen almost immediately into the water. The Dursleys had never had another sports-related birthday party for Dudley after that.

Harry stood up quickly before continuing to run. After the initial shock caused him to fall to the ground, he managed to stay standing the entire time, though he was unable to run as quickly as he would have liked.

When the ground he was standing on broke off and he began running on a floating platform, the danger factor came up again. Taking a quick look down, Harry could see brilliant red pools of molten lava stirring dangerously below him. The heat in the room increased considerably as he ran. He tried to move his thoughts away from the lava, though he noticed that he came very close to tripping several times.

He managed to make it through the challenge alive. When the ground had re-attached itself and stopped trembling, Harry picked up speed. He sighed in relief as the temperature cooled to room temperature and it became easier to run.

Running for several minutes more, Harry's body tensed as he realized that the next challenge should be coming up soon. Fears confirmed, Harry saw the course before him become uneven. Small hurdles and small holes appeared in the ground. Trying not to slow down, Harry had to jump above the hurdles and over the holes to avoid hurting himself. At times, there would be two hurdles placed back-to-back or a hole the length of two, which would involve more energy on Harry's part.

Soon enough, though not soon enough for Harry's tastes, the ground evened out once more. Sighing with relief, Harry could see the end of the course. Gathering up his energy, he did one final sprint before crossing the finish line. The additional walls and holes disappeared, and the room reverted to its regular size as soon as he had completed it.

Knowing better than to sit down, Harry walked around the room to relieve the pain in his muscles as Nedra ran up to him. His clothes were drenched in sweat, and he was hot beyond imagination. His side burned beyond imagination, and he could feel the blood clinging to his clothes. His knees stung slightly from his fall on the moving ground. Nedra smiled at him, and Harry had to smile back. As much pain as he was in, Harry realized that he had enjoyed the challenge that the course had brought on. Since it would help him defeat Voldemort... all the better for him.

"You did very good for your first time Harry. Obviously I didn't make the course hard enough for you. Don't worry, it will be much more difficult the next time around. You completed the course in one hour and forty minutes, much better than I expected. I will not underestimate you again, so don't fret about it."

_Oh yes, he was _**very**_ happy that she was going to increase the difficulty..._ Harry thought sarcastically to himself. He didn't think he had ever been through a more difficult workout session, and she was treating the course as if it was nothing. Harry sighed, realizing that he would have to adjust to Nedra's views on difficult training, as it differed so much from his own.

Harry and Nedra stretched for several minutes before re-entering the Dream World. Passing through the Portal greatly relieved the pain and tension in his muscles and all over his body.

Much like last time, his muscles were able to move much easily in the Dream World, as the gravity was back to its normal pull, and Harry practically ran to the opposite end of the room. As he had spent even more time in the other dimension than normal, however, the change lasted slightly longer. Harry doubted, however, that he would even feel the effects of his gravity training by the time he returned home. As Nedra had explained, it would take a while before his muscles strengthened greatly. However, she assured him that if they continued at a regular training pace, and strengthened the gravitational pull at regular intervals, Harry would soon feel the difference.

His training with Nedra officially over, Nedra quickly transfigured Harry's clothes to a clean pair, and handed him over to Kael, who had Apparated soundlessly into the training room moments ago.

Kael kissed his wife quickly on the cheek before walking over to Harry. Harry's muscles tensed as Kael drew nearer, though he forced his body not to assume a defensive position. His muscles were, however, ready to move out of the way should Kael have decided to use him as his own personal punching bag. Harry kept one eye on Kael while still keeping Nedra in his vision, however. He knew that it would not be below them to have Nedra attack while Kael was teaching.

Harry let out a breath he did not know he had been holding when she apparated away, and he turned his attention to the large man before him.

Kael spoke in a deep, booming voice that Harry was positive could be heard for miles, "As you have already been informed, my job is to teach you Battle Tactics, while improving both your physical endurance and strength. Much like Nedra, I will be dividing these two categories by day. You will be training to improve your physical endurance today, and every second day from now on. Battle Tactics will be taught on the days between these intervals. Have I made myself clear?"

Kael's military voice held such authority that Harry did not trust his voice to speak, but simply nodded in response.

"Now, the Portal will only be used during your strength training, which will only be held every other physical training days. Today, as I am assured that you have worked hard, we will only work on your physical endurance. I expect you, however, to be able to use the equipment Merlin has provided, and to work on the exercises I will show you. It will be easier to improve you physically if you are also working in the normal world. Understand? Good."

Without waiting for a response, Kael waved his hand. Harry recognized all of the equipment the appeared before them from his new training room in Privet Drive. For the next half-hour, Kael proceeded to explain their different functions to Harry, how often they should be used, and which order would be more beneficial to Harry's training.

Once done, and satisfied that Harry had been paying sufficient attention to know how to use the equipment without injuring himself, Kael moved on to the lesson itself.

He had Harry run laps around the room silently, setting the pace himself. Harry saw Kael loosen as he ran, obviously enjoying it. During the silence that ensued, Harry thought back to the day before. Why had Nedra been the one to have him run long distance, when it was Kael's job to supervise this area of his training? Harry presumed it had something to do with the problems that Merlin had hinted at, but could not be sure until he had more information.

As they ran, Harry felt his own body loosening. His shoulders relaxed, and he began to adjust to the rhythm. He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, just as Nedra had instructed him to do. Soon, a half-hour had passed. Harry felt himself tiring, and noticed that he was no longer able to keep up with Kael. When the older man noticed that he had lost his young trainee, he doubled back.

"Alright Harry, that was – _adequate_ for your first time running with me."

Kael threw Harry another potion. Harry downed the contents in another gulp, so that the horrible taste did not linger as long in his mouth. The stitch in his side relaxed, and he felt his body re-energize itself.

"Let's start running again, though I dare say that the scenery was not very nice."

With a quick wave of his hands, the scenery of the training room shifted. As they started running, Harry had to smile at his odd trainer. He realized that it would take a very long time for him to finally understand the older man, who at some moments could be as ferocious as a Hungarian Horntail, and at other times completely carefree.

Harry agreed with the other man. Running through beautiful forest scenery was much more interesting than the bland, four-side training room. Together they ran in perfect harmony, footsteps matching each other step for step. Harry felt his body relax, and without realizing it he had entered a magical trance. If Kael noticed the change, he didn't show it, save for a small smile gracing his lips for several seconds before his neutral face took over. He found the boy very interesting...

After Harry had run for another forty minutes, Kael finished the last lap. He handed Harry another potion wordlessly.

"That was a very good run Harry. I'm glad you seem to be enjoying yourself. You are coming along nicely. Don't forget to move your arms like I told you to, and remember to practice running while in the real world."

He was about to transfigure Harry's clothes when a thought came to him.

"Why don't you change your own clothes Harry? The spell is simple, and you already have the clothes you have on as a base. You could choose what you want to wear rather than having us decide for you."

Grinning, Harry changed into a comfortable pair of robes that were perfect for the occasion. He had gotten the form easily enough (it had only taken him two tries), but when he tried to make them interesting and special, he had only succeeded in creating massive blobs of color around them. Harry laughed at the thought of Snape wearing robes such as these, as they were the total opposite of Snape's usual black attire.

Harry was ready to change the robes back to a single color. However, when he saw the shocked look on Kael's face, the young wizard decided to keep them. Who knew? Perhaps if he actually wore robes like these in public, it would become the newest craze!

Shaking his head as Kael continued laughing, the two made their way to Nalani and Mandara.

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A/N: Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Happy New Year! Whatever holiday you're celebrating, I hope it's a great one!

Thanks to everyone that reviewed! It really meant a lot to me, and in the holiday spirit I wrote this 10 000 word monstrosity. From now on chapter lengths will range from 5000 – over 10 000 words, because it was obvious that 3000 word chapters weren't cutting it, and at the rate I was writing and updating I will not finish this before 100 chapters and by my due date: July 16th! If I don't finish by then, then my entire story becomes AU... However, I do not foresee finishing this story and its sequel by that time, so don't keep your hopes up!

Please review! Even just a few simple words show me that people are reading and enjoy it enough to take the time to review! Even for those that do not have accounts, I do accept anonymous reviews!

Anyway, you can foresee the next chapter up by January 4th. I would have liked to update more, but my school made a big mistake on the dates and I go back a week earlier than planned... Not to mention I have a lot of homework to finish before I get back. I know, I have homework during the holidays... but such is the dreadful school I go to!

Don't forget to review! They mean so much to me! Here are the review responses to those that made comments that need answering:

**TwistedFlames**: Thanks for the review! One plate of brownies coming up... with a serving of Cherry Blasters and milk on the side! Enjoy, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Glad exams are finally over... they were easier than expected, except for the French one... stupid random dude who is obsessed with money! Who writes an exam about that? Anyway, review again (lmao)!

**Nimbriosa:** I know the ending was weak... I was tired and wanted to get the chapter up! So... was this a long chapter or what! 10 000 words! I was so proud of myself... Merry Christmas milady!

**Dr. Gero**: Looks around museum is shock... this is the coolest place ever! Thanks for inviting me... I should buy a membership! Thanks for the review, and here is a longer chapter for you!

**aberdeenflyers**: No, time would definitely have to travel faster in the Dream World. Think about it this way: one minute in the real world is the equivalent of eight minutes in the Dream World. Thus, time must travel faster in the Dream World. Another way to think of it is this: say you have two people (Person A and Person B). Both Person A and B start of at the same time in the normal world (12:00), and both must complete an hour's worth of homework. Person B, however, travels to the Dream World before any of them begin. They both start at the same time, one in one world and one in another. Person B finishes in an hour, and goes back to the real world. Person A also finishes in an hour (13:00). However, when Person B arrives in the real world, only seven and a half minutes have passed for him (12:17). Therefore, time must have traveled slower in the normal world! If you still do not understand my logic, however, I am perfectly prepared to defend my point. You can send me an e-mail, or if you have MSN you can add me to your list and I can hopefully explain it better! Merry Christmas and thank you for your review!

**FlareofDragon**: Would you mind telling me where you think I got my ideas from? Not to attack you, but I happen to think most of my ideas are original and I have never read anything similar. Except for the dummies, which I have read about in too many fics to count! Why do you think Harry has too much power? I do agree that he has a lot (though so will Voldemort) but he is having trouble controlling it, and will have even more trouble in the future as he is only doing simple spells now... Thanks for the review, and I'm open to any suggestions you have :D

**EternityofTwilight**: A dracopop? Wow, that is the oddest request I have gotten thus far! I made a whole batch just for you, as you were the only one who asked for these! Aren't they cute, with Draco having a different expression each lollipop!?! Thanks for the review!

Since I got a lot of requests from people, and had some free time on my hands, I decided to be nice and bake as many virtual baked goods as I could come up with! Here you are, and I hope you enjoy! Think of it as my holiday gift, along with this chapter!

Happy Holidays,

----- ) FlyingPixie

REVIEW!

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	14. Sodalites

**Celestial Guidance**

**by Flying Pixie (Lady Lyssa)**

**Disclaimer**: All the Harry Potter characters belong to the wonderful J.K.Rowling. I am not making any money doing this (unfortunately) and am doing it for the sole purpose of having fun. The plot and characters you do not recognize belong to me!

**A/N**: Sorry that I could not get this chapter out on the fourth. I misjudged the amount of work for my Italian project, and had to stay up till one o'clock working on that. So, in short, I had no time to work on my wonderful fic. Thank you to my new beta Nimbirosa. Go read her fics! To my most loyal fans, I present the fourteenth chapter. Enjoy!

The quote is dedicated to Dr. Gero. He was disappointed when the original version of this chapter did not have a quote, and thus I put this up for him! I'm glad to know that my quotes are appreciated.

_Mind speech is done in italics!

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_

**Sodalites**

_Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity, and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind._

- Leonardo da Vinci

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Several winding corridors later found Harry in front of a tall, oak door. Leaning calmly on the door were Nalani and Mandara. They both held neutral expressions, their calm outward demeanor not having changed since the first time he had seen them. Able to see them closely for the first time, he noticed that their faces held extremely uncommon beauty. 

Trying to stop the blush that was rising up his cheeks as he inspected their bodies, he noticed that they both held their hair loosely, their long black strands falling down past their waists. They both wore identical strands of amethysts, which surrounded their heads and looped down to cross their foreheads. They looked like the pictures of royalty Harry remembered staring at in his History of Magic textbooks while Professor Binns droned on in the background. They both had unsettling purple eyes that Harry had never seen before. Smiling as though they could hear his thoughts, they walked up to him gracefully.

"We will take over, thank you."

Nodding and bidding Harry good-bye, Kael turned and departed. Harry was slightly apprehensive about having to learn Occlumency, but doubted that it would be as horrible as Snape had made it.

"Really Harry, you put **so** much faith in us," one said, before turning and entering the room. The other followed suit, leaving Harry alone in the hallway, shocked. Shaking his head and gathering his senses, he quickly followed them.

He entered the large hall, similar in area to the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Tall windowpanes surrounded the far wall, allowing the sun to shine at its full potential. The cool marble floor and the rich, burgundy colored walls made the room seem aristocratic. Golden candelabras lined two of the other walls, leaving the wall behind him bare. The candles were unlit, as the sunlight provided the necessary light. His inspection of the room was cut short as one of the sisters spoke again.

"My name is Nalani. This is my twin-sister Mandara."

Both sisters wore identical red gowns that made it impossible to tell them apart. Noticing his discomfort, Nalani waved her hand. Though the style of her dress remained the same, the red color instantaneously became an icy blue. Harry smiled only slightly. If these twins could read his mind without any spells, how was he supposed to block his mind against them? He supposed that he would have to learn to continuously block his mind from invaders. If he had trouble defending himself when he was prepared… Harry did not know how he was going to manage.

Suddenly, Harry noticed that the sisters' magic was different than the other magics he had ever seen. Not only was their core magic streaked with more purple magic, or divinatory magic, as he reminded himself, but their magic was moving irregularly.

Other people's magic also moved and pulsed to its own beat, but the twins seemed to take this a step higher. Their magics were connected. They _shared_ their magic. Magic would flow out of Nalani and merge into Mandara's magic, and vice-versa. Harry watched, amazed, at the movements the magic underwent.

"Yes Harry, the fact that we are twins makes our magic very different. We are much stronger when we are close to each other, and our magics feed off of each other. This can provide both advantages and disadvantages. Can you guess why?" Mandara asked in a smooth, silky voice.

Harry thought for a few minutes.

"It strengthens your magic when you are together. However, a disadvantage is presented when you apart, because your magic weakens."

Nalani and Mandara both smiled in unison.

"Yes Harry, that is correct. As you have already been informed, it is our job to teach you self-control and discipline, as well as improve your Occlumency skills and teach you how to read someone's thoughts and memories," Mandara replied.

"Before we start teaching you, however, you must understand that improving your Occlumency skills will not help you very much against Riddle, who has a special connection to you that no amount of blocking your mind will help you. No Harry, don't comment. We know that Dumbledore and Snape seem to think otherwise, but no amount of blocking your mind will stop Riddle from penetrating your mind," Nalani added, not missing a beat.

Harry frowned. There was obviously another way around it. Either the answer did not lie with Occlumency, or the connection was two-way.

"Good thinking Harry. True, the connection _is_ two-way. Not only that, however, but Merlin has assured us that he will teach you a more abstract method of defending your mind from Voldemort," Nalani said.

"Now, we really must get started before we waste any more time," Mandara added. "To start, I want you to forget _everything _that Snape taught you about Occlumency. It was obvious that his method, the most common method, did not work for you. After all, when have you ever been normal?" she said, mirroring his thoughts.

"It would have been obvious to any Occlumency expert, but apparently he was too – preoccupied – with other issues to teach you decently," Nalani finished for her sister.

They smiled at him, but Harry only moaned at Mandara's words. _Why can't I be normal? _At least her words explained why he had not been able to grasp Occlumency when he was with Snape (though Harry assumed that being forced to spend time alone with the greasy git presented other problems). Suddenly, a thought occurred to Harry. True, they had told him to forget everything that Snape had taught him, but he decided to ask anyway.

"I didn't _really_ understand the difference, but I remember Snape saying that Legilimency is not like normal mind-reading. I think he said something like 'the mind is not a book'. If that is true, than how are you able to hear each of my thoughts?"

The twins' eyes sparkled happily.

"We are able to hear each of your thoughts, Harry, because we both are Sodalites, or Mind-Readers. We are able to penetrate the human mind and read all the thoughts hidden there," Nalani said.

When Harry heard this, he tried to stop thinking so that they wouldn't hear his thoughts. When he saw them smiling at him, he blushed.

"It is very different than Legilimency, which can only be done under certain conditions, and usually requires eye-contact to work. Occlumency will, however, help you to block us out, as well as any other Sodalites. And no, simply not thinking will not help you.

"Snape _was_ right on one account: the mind is not like an open book, with your thoughts written on each page where a Sodalite can easily flip the pages and read your thoughts. The mind is a very complex organ, and thoughts are multi-layered. It is very difficult to describe, but you will understand when we teach you how to enter someone's mind. It takes both time and practice to become an efficient Sodalite. You cannot simply turn off your thinking process Harry," Mandara added to her sister's words, smile only growing as Harry groaned.

"Am I a – what did you call them? Oh yes, am I a Sodalite as well?"

"You are not a Sodalite by birth, but after the night that Riddle tried to kill you, many of his powers were transferred to you. Being a Sodalite was one of his many gifts. There are many advantages to having mind-reading powers, especially in a duel, both magical and physical. Now, today we will work on relaxing your mind and attempting to construct a shield. Try to get comfortable before we start."

"How can Voldemort be a Sodalite? Wouldn't he then be able to detect that Snape is a spy? Bloody Hell," Harry said, borrowing an expression from Ron.

The twins simply smiled.

"There are ways to stop a Sodalite from entering your mind, Harry. Please, try to get comfortable," Nalani answered.

Harry's mind still reeling, he nodded and sat on the floor, his back to the wall. He closed his eyes and allowed both his mind and body to relax. He could still 'see' Nalani and Mandara using his Second Sight, or at least he could see their magic and a few of their features. They both sat in front of him, cross-legged, waiting for him to relax. Once she saw that Harry was comfortable, Nalani spoke once more in her soothing voice. Resisting the urge to fall asleep (despite the fact that he was, technically, sleeping); Harry listened to her instructions, realizing that it was of the utmost importance that he listen carefully.

"Now, the key to Occlumency is in defending your mind from outside invasion and influence. You must build up a mental shield to block these invasions. You have natural skill at being able to resist the Imperius Curse. When you block someone from controlling your mind, as they do when they cast the Imperius Curse, you are able to stop them because you focus your mind to the sole objective of not forgetting who you are, and what you _want_ to do.

"Shielding your mind from an Occlumens is not the same, however. Honestly, I don't understand _how_ that man became your teacher. Not even explaining the proper procedure…"

As Nalani continued ranting at Snape under her breath, Mandara took over, smiling.

"Yes, shielding _your_ mind is not the same, due to the failed Avada Kedavra curse. The curse did more to you than meets the eye," she said. "Not only did it transfer many of Riddle's powers onto you, and many of your powers onto him, but it also changed how your mind works. What you must understand is, no living person knows how you were able to survive that curse –"

"What do you mean no living person knows? Dumbledore explained it to me. I survived the curse because of the Prophecy that was made," Harry interrupted her.

Mandara raised her eyebrows, and Nalani laughed softly.

"Harry, a Prophecy simply _foretells_ the future, but it by no means shapes it. The Prophecy is not the reason behind your survival. Not even Dumbledore knows how you survived, but I am sure that he has a very good idea."

Harry stared blankly at her. How could he have been so dense? It should have been obvious to him that the answer to what had happened the night his parents had died was not as simple as a Prophecy. That last thought had Harry thinking. If the answer was not the Prophecy, than what was? Harry noticed Nalani and Mandara send thick tendrils of their magic into the air. As tendrils came down to them, they nodded in unison. Harry noticed that the magic that had come down was the same as the magic that Merlin had been conversing with. When would he be let in on the secret? Mandara answered his unasked query.

"Unfortunately, neither my sister nor I can answer this. Those who are behind what happened will inform you in their own time. I am sorry Harry, but we are forbidden to tell you. I know that you do not like being left out of things, but unfortunately they are very complicated, and are best explained from the direct source."

Harry could not believe it. That was the second time in one day that he found out that some mysterious force was running his life for him. The air around him crackled dangerously, and the twins immediately raised a magical shield around them. Harry was so caught up in his anger that he did not realize what was happening around him until it was too late. With a sudden, bright flash, his magic took on the shape of a lightning bolt and exploded outwards.

The twins, who had unfortunately been sitting directly in front of him, were hit with the largest part of the blow and were sent flying across the room. The backlash of the force sent Harry careening into the wall behind him.

* * *

Fred and George Weasley attempted to amuse themselves by competing as to who could enchant their pebbles to run the fastest. They had been charged with guard duty over Privet Drive, and had taken to their task hole-heartedly – until over two hours had passed. 

When it became obvious that Harry had long gone to sleep (as his light had been out and there was not a sound to be heard from his room) they had begun to bore of watching the empty, dull streets of Privet Drive. They decided to enchant any objects around them to do what they wished in an attempt to amuse themselves. The Weasley twins did, however, still keep an eye on Privet Drive between rounds to ensure that danger was not lurking near-by.

They enchanted two nearby branches to fight each other. The fight was over within minutes.

_Looks like I beat you once again!_ George exclaimed mentally.

His brother received his telepathic message with ease. The twins had been able to communicate telepathically for as long as they could remember. They had never told a soul, however. After all, what was the fun in being able to finish each other's outrageous sentences if everyone knew how they managed to do it?

They had researched the topic thoroughly, but were still unsure of how they were able to talk to one another. It was possible that they were Sodalites. They had read that when it occurred in twins, the Sodalite abilities were only increased.

_That proves nothing; I still beat you in the races and the rock throwing,_ Fred thought back.

So_? I still beat you in the height competition, which ties us. But who is keeping score anyway?_ George thought to his brother.

The twins laughed inwardly as they remembered the 'height competition', which had involved charming rocks to fly as high as they could. George had held the record before one of his had flown above one of the roofs of a muggle house and had bounced noisily down the roof before landing in (and breaking) a flowerpot.

The muggle husband and wife had gone outside to see source of the disturbance, but when they could not tell where the destructive rock had come from they gave up. The twins had heard them blame it on Harry Potter, the 'mental disturbance from across the street' before re-entering their house.

Fred sighed deeply and slumped down, landing at the base of a large tree. George followed his example, sitting down and leaning his head back on the tree. They both stared silently up at the stars, deep in thought.

_It feels almost surreal, in a way. We managed to buy property at Diagon Alley and open our own joke shop. We –_

– _joined the Order of the Phoenix, rituals and all, despite Mum's protests. However, it does not feel as if we have actually _done_ something_! George finished for his twin.

_They obviously won't allow us to join the Higher Ranks that Mum and Dad are a part of, and we won't be allowed to know all of the Order's secrets. Unless…_

_Unless we managed to make something even better than the Extendable Ears. Something that would be able to penetrate through more spells…_

_YES_! Fred thought excitedly.

George rubbed his head as though pained by the noise. Fred continued, ignoring his twin's antics, to which he had grown accustomed. Seventeen years with a person constantly by your side does that to you.

_Yes, we can even make it invisible. Maybe there is a spell somewhere that would prevent Moody from seeing it as well… that would be a mighty useful spell. Then we would know what is going on in the Order. I mean, _**really**_ going on._

The twins smiled to each other, already planning what the new-and-improved Extendable Ears would be able to do. Before they knew it, another hour had passed. When another half-hour passed, the twins began to worry. Their shift had ended forty-five minutes before, and no sign could be seen of their replacement.

Tonks had never been more than three minutes late, and usually arrived earlier than planned. Had Mundungus been their replacement they would not have worried, but Tonks was a reliable Auror…

Sharing a look and silently communicating, the twins jumped into action. They had devised a plan of action within seconds: Fred would stay behind and guard the house, only entering to get Harry if there was an urgent need. George would Apparate over to Mrs. Figg's house to use the Floo to contact Dumbledore.

George Apparated away just as a flustered Tonks Apparated to Fred.

"May the phoenix rise up and defeat the serpent," Tonks said between gasps for breath, reciting the Order's newest phrase of the week; a signal between members.

Relieved that it was indeed Tonks, Fred gave her a few moments to breathe as he sent a Telepathic message to his twin that Tonks was all right. Thankfully, George had only Apparated to Mrs. Figg's house, who lived relatively near-by and in-range of their long-distance telepathy.

George Apparated back quickly, apologizing quickly to Mrs. Figg. Tonks, who had managed to regain her breath, told the boys to Apparate to the Burrow to see their parents. Shrugging, they complied, wondering what had been so important as to make Tonks late, and have all of them abandon Harry. Knowing the Order, there was probably another person at Privet Drive watching over Harry. Or so they thought…

* * *

When the dust settled and the magic lost its light and flew back into his body, Harry stood and looked around him. The wall he had been sitting back on had fallen completely, the remains lying scattered around him. The space on the wall where Nalani and Mandara had struck held two large holes from the impact. The twins themselves had been prepared for a burst of energy and had managed to create a small shield around themselves. However, the shield they had erected had not been sufficient, and had split as soon as Harry's magic had hit it. 

Harry's body began to tremble. How could he have done that? It was not their fault that he was not getting any of the information that he had wanted. He sat back down on the floor, head between his knees. He had not meant to hurt them, but that had not stopped him from doing so. What would happen should he lose control in the real world? What if he lost control of his emotions again, but actually hurt someone next time.

Violent tremors wracked Harry's body. He could hurt Ron, Hermione or Sirius in a single blow. What if he killed someone? He felt tears roll unwillingly down his cheeks. He brushed them off without a second thought. He hated the feeling of not being in control.

For minutes Harry sat there, contemplating his actions, but to him it felt like both a second and an eternity. Realizing that blaming himself was not going to help the twins and was not going to help him learn control, he lifted himself slowly and tried to stop the tremors. Succeeding slightly he ran over to where the twins lay unconscious.

Harry revived them with a quick spell and helped them to their feet. Once standing, they regained their usual composure. Waving their hands, they fixed their appearance. With another wave, the room was restored to its original state.

Harry sighed, realizing that he would have to accept the situation. At the very least, they had not directly hidden the truth from him. He could see the difference between being completely ignorant of everything, and **knowing** that there was something being hidden from him, but that the reasons were great and that he would find out soon. That thought helped calm him slightly, though the air around him still crackled dangerously. Breathing slowly and deeply, Harry entered a trance and fed all of his emotions to the Void. Once he calmed himself sufficiently, he exited his trance, expecting a rant from one of the twins. Instead, he received two slow sighs.

"No Harry, we are not angry at you. We understand that you are beating yourself up about what happened already, so we feel that there is no need to add to your pain. However, what you did has very grave consequences. The problem must be dealt with immediately," Nalani said.

"I assume by now that you realize how dangerous allowing your emotions to rule you can become. I shudder to think about what could have happened to Nalani and I had we not been able to shield ourselves from part of the blow. To think that something like this can easily happen in the real world, where the consequences are much graver… We had not realized that control was such a big issue. However, since this has now happened three times in the past week, it must be the first thing on our agenda," Mandara added.

Harry remembered shooting his magic at Dudley's gang when they had attacked poor Mark Evans, and remembered exploding his bed in frustration at the way Ron was treating him in his letters. He could seriously hurt someone if he was not careful. Breathing, he realized that what had happened had not been his fault, but that if he did not learn to gain control it would be. He made a silent promise to learn how to control his emotions before it was too late. Control his emotions; not letting them control him.

Harry nodded, his fierce determination flashing in his eyes. Emerald eyes locked onto two pairs of purple ones, and the two Sodalites did not need their mind-reading abilities to know what the young wizard was thinking. He would train, as hard as it took, to learn how to control himself. For his friends, for his family, he would do what it took. Harry would learn what it took to kill the bloody murderer that killed his parents, tried to kill his godfather, and tried to kill him. To murder, or be murdered. No fooling around, no playing games. Seeing this, they smiled. _That_ was the right attitude.

"Harry, what did you do to calm yourself today? Calm yourself until you felt no emotion?"

Without hesitation Harry explained what he had done.

"Why did you not use the Void to your advantage _before_ you lost complete control?" Nalani asked him.

Thankfully, neither sister attacked him as they asked questions. It amazed Harry to no end how they were able to be so calm, even after he had sent a blast of fatal magic towards them. Their composed demeanor remained the same throughout, as though they were able to handle anything that came their way.

Thinking back, none of his Celestial Council trainers had ever been mean to him. All of them thus far asked him the right questions in a calm voice, allowing Harry to figure everything out on his own with a few pushes in the right direction. For years, he had had to endure the Dursley's condescending treatment towards him, and even when he came to Hogwarts he had had to withstand Snape's taunting comments. Even Dumbledore, the wizard he had always trusted to guide him in every occasion, had kept secrets from him.

Not one person on the Council had given him any reason to distrust them. Other than a few secrets (which he knew came from higher beings that even Merlin had to submit to) they treated him like the mature wizard he was.

Harry smiled as he realized that it was so much more efficient to be taught by these people. He had to hand it to Merlin; he sure knew how to choose the right people.

"I did not use the Void at the time because I had not even registered that my magic had been gathering."

Nalani and Mandara nodded. They both stood silently for a few minutes. Harry vaguely wondered if they were conversing mentally. After all, if they were both Sodalites, then they should be able to send thoughts to each other, and then receive the thoughts of the other. Mind-speech in such a way would probably be much more efficient than speech, and would be useful to prevent enemy detection. Harry's thoughts were cut off as Mandara spoke again.

"The best way for you to control your emotions is to feed them to the Void. Merlin will be able to help you control your magic more, since the new power will be hard for you to wield at first. However, until you gain full mastery over your magic, we realize that it is a big problem if you are unable to detect your growing magic and stop it in time. Therefore, until you learn to detect it quickly enough to enter the Void, we will give you this."

With a few, complex-looking waves of their hands and a few Latin words, blood red and dark blue lights began to glow above their heads. The glowing pulsated and grew for several seconds before going out all together, leaving behind an odd shape. The object fell into Mandara's open hands.

The twins examined the object quickly, Nalani looking over Mandara's shoulder. When they were satisfied that this was what they wanted, they handed the object to Harry. Wordlessly, Harry took the object and examined it. The stone – for that was what it was – was still warm as he held it. The stone was small, fitting neatly in the center of his palm. It was made of a transparent, hollowed crystal. The center was filled with an unidentifiable red liquid, whose movement resembled that of fire. Harry could practically _feel_ the magic coming off the stone. Somehow, it felt _right_.

"That, Harry, is a Dragon Stone. It is a diamond hollowed by magical means, filled with dragon's blood. Among other things, the stone has the very useful property of glowing brightly and heating up whenever the bearer's magic leaves the bearer's body without his or her permission. They are **incredibly** rare items. This particular one was made from the blood of a Hungarian Horntail, and was created and formed by our father, the most skilled jeweler of his age."

Harry stared at the stone in amazement. Sighing with regret, he handed it back to the twins.

"I'm sorry. I cannot accept this stone."

"What is it with you English? Always apologizing for no reason."

"Sorry," Harry said before he could stop himself. He smiled.

"We would not have given the stone to you if we had not wanted you to keep it. This Dragon Stone was meant for you, and you know it. You can feel it, can't you? This stone will serve you well."

Harry nodded, happy that he was able to keep it. Examining it once more, he realized that the top portion of the stone had a small opening, as though meant to have a thread drawn through it and to be tied around the neck.

Noticing his discovery, Nalani handed him a black cord. Taking it, he slid it through the opening and tied the stone securely around his neck. The cord was the perfect length, allowing the stone to fall at the same level as his heart. He would be able to hide it under his clothing if need be. Though not used to wearing jewelry, even masculine kinds, he did not mind wearing this stone.

"Thank you very much," Harry said, his gratitude showing in his eyes.

The next hour was spent with the twins teaching Harry how to use the Void to its full efficiency, as well as several calming techniques he should use before going to bed.

"Hopefully we will be able to begin working on how to build up a mental shield tomorrow," Mandara said.

* * *

"What do you _mean_ Harry is at Grimmauld Place?" 

"You mean to say that Harry was there all throughout our watch hour – ?"

"– and we hadn't even realized it?"

"Bloody Hell," the twins said in unison.

"Language boys," Mrs. Weasley said half-heartedly, still slightly weary from the events of the day. "And yes, to answer your questions Harry has been here this whole time, and is now sleeping. I believe he is sharing a room with Remus and Sirius."

"WHAT?" the twins yelled as one.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both proceeded to explain what had happened that day, starting with the prank. The twin's eyes sparkled in excitement at the prank that Remus, Harry and Sirius had pulled.

"Now, there will be an Order meeting tomorrow morning to induct Harry into the Order," the plump woman added, obviously dismayed at the prospect.

Had it been anyone else, the twins would have ranted about how it was unfair to allow someone to join the Order under-age. Harry, however, had seen more than his fair share, and had the full right to be privy to information.

Serious thoughts leaving almost as quickly as they had come, the twins were already thinking of the prank they had missed. Who knew that Sirius and Remus were such good pranksters?

The twins turned when they heard noises, only to see a very sleepy Ron with tousled hair looking between the pair of them and their parents.

* * *

Nalani and Mandara brought Harry over to Gryffindor's training quarters. Waving good-bye, the twins left Harry. Raising his hands to knock on the door, Harry was surprised as it swung open of its own accord. Shrugging, he walked in. He distantly heard the door closing softly behind him, as he looked around him. The far wall of the gigantic room was lined with dummies, identical to the ones in Harry's training rooms. The center of the room housed an official dueling arena, similar to the ones Harry had seen in an edition of _The Dueler's Dimension_, but much more elaborate. 

Harry looked up from his examination of the elaborate Ancient Runes carved into the wood when he heard footsteps. A tall man in long, red robes of the previous era walked towards him. His brown hair was very unruly, falling just above his shoulders. His brown eyes were both playful and mischievous.

"Hello Harry. It is always nice to meet a descendant of mine."

Harry tried not to laugh, and in his attempt started to choke. _Descendant?_

"Yes Harry, you are my descendant. I was under the impression that you already knew."

Harry should have known. Everything pointed towards it; the most incriminating factor from his Second Year, when he had pulled the Gryffindor's sword from the Sorting Hat. Digesting the information quickly, Harry nodded, albeit slowly.

Gryffindor laughed heartily, enjoying his descendant's discomfort.

"Come on, being related to me is not _that_ bad! Besides, I can teach you more about the castle than the Marauder's Map ever could!"

_He can teach me more than the Marauder's Map?_

"I didn't think that it was bad! It is simply a lot to get used to. After all, you are one of the most powerful wizards that ever lived."

Gryffindor laughed again.

"Don't let Salazar hear you saying that. He will accuse you of giving me a larger head than I already have!"

Though he made sure not to let it show, Harry was shocked at the tone with which Gryffindor spoke of Slytherin. It was altogether light and cheerful, as if they were the best of friends.

"Now that we have gotten all of this ancestry and descendant stuff out of the way, we really must start out training. Today will be a basic review of everything you have learned at Hogwarts. Once this is done, I can spend more time teaching you new curses and counter-curses, as well as advanced dueling techniques you would not have learnt until you had entered an Auror academy," Gryffindor said jovially. It seemed as though not even the prospect of work could take the man's smile off.

Harry spent the next hour and a half revising the past five years of Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was a surprisingly small amount of information due largely to the incompetent teachers occupying the position most years, but it was useful for Harry who was practicing most of the spells wandlessly for the first time. He was able to do most spells without difficulty, but some took several tries before he could do them perfectly. Gryffindor was encouraging the entire time, giving him pointers and advice when necessary.

The hour and a half passed too quickly for Harry's tastes, who had really enjoyed having a properly taught lesson of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He could now understand why Godric Gryffindor had been hailed one of the greatest wizards in history. Smiling down at him in sympathy, Gryffindor brought him down to the deep basements that housed Slytherin's Potions Labs.

"Try not to let old Salazar get to you. He can be very annoying at times, so just try to hold your tongue and let him do what he wants. If he tries to convert you to the Dark Side, get out and run for your life," Gryffindor said seriously, as if his words were of the utmost importance.

It was at that exact moment that Slytherin decided to open his doors.

"Honestly, I have no idea how Harry can possibly be your descendant Godric. He is much too mature and well mannered, not to mention sly and cunning. Really, how he was ever sorted into Gryffindor is a mystery to me."

With a flourish, Gryffindor took out his wand and pointed it at Slytherin.

"Is that how you feel, is it? Then, let us duel, oh Master of Chemistry. I will not stand by while you insult my descendant," Gryffindor said.

"You are mistaken, you arrogant fool. I was not insulting Harry, I was insulting _you_!"

"For that, you will pay. En garde!"

"No, I refuse to duel with you! Such actions are below me. I will not waste my energy on the likes of you while there is training to be done," Slytherin said in a mocking tone.

Gryffindor seemed about to make a comeback, but could not as fits of laughter could be heard from Harry.

"You two – are the funniest – pair that – I have ever – seen!" he managed to make out through hysterics.

On second thought, that could have been a lie, as Ron and Hermione bickered frequently. However, Harry concluded quickly, their arguing was more in earnest than in play, and was more often than not completely irritating.

Gryffindor bowed to before Harry, wearing a maniacal grin. Slytherin simply nodded once, smiling briefly before a neutral mask slipped back over his stern features. Saluting Salazar formally, but ruining the entire effect with his mocking smile, Gryffindor bid Harry a quick good-bye before departing.

Now alone with Harry, Slytherin motioned for him to follow him into the Potion's Labs. Harry followed quickly, eager to get to work. Training with Nedra and Kael was physically exhausting, and doing almost two hours of wandless magic was tiresome in more ways than one. Though he did not feel the effects of those lessons, Harry simply wished to have a relaxing time with Salazar brewing potions.

Though Harry doubted it ever becoming his favorite subject at Hogwarts, he still found it relaxing and interesting. Not to mention that he wanted to learn more about Slytherin…

The next two hours passed peacefully as Slytherin taught Harry how to brew the Aestuo Philtrum. There were many variations, all of varying degrees of both difficulty and power, that caused emotions to change (much like a cheering charm in potion form).

Unlike many other potions, however, these potions were different because they worked equally well when either drunk or when coming in contact with the skin. The root ingredients were the same for each of the variations, but additional ingredients were added to change various emotions. Salazar had decided on a more basic variant, that left a person feeling peaceful and relaxed.

As Harry sprinkled the Dulse herb over his boiling cauldron, Salazar taught him each of the properties found in each ingredient, and which other ingredients they should not come into contact with.

Finishing by stirring counter-clockwise while removing the Lamia's tongue, Harry poured the potion into a few bottles, corked them, labeled them, and placed them on a shelf on the back wall. Much like Harry had discovered the day before, all potions he brewed with Salazar would be transported to his room before he woke. Harry did not question how or why this was, and simply accepted it.

Cleaning the area as they finished their lesson, Salazar led Harry to Rowena's chambers, still describing the risks of using too much Althea when already using Eryngo.

* * *

Hearing raised voices coming from the kitchen that soundly much like the twins, who rarely yelled, Ron pulled the warm covers off his body and trudged down the crooked stairs. Wiping sleep from his eyes and yawning bitterly, Ron stepped into the Burrow's kitchen. 

He had entered just in time to hear Mrs. Weasley finish her story. He stared dumbfounded between his parents and the twins, hardly trusting his ears. Had she just said Sirius?

His heart went out to Harry, and he was extremely happy for his friend. Ron had hated seeing the detached look Harry had worn at the end of the school year. He had, after all, lost the closest thing he'd known as a father figure.

Ron, who had grown up surrounded by the love of his family, could not even begin to imagine how he would live without them. Though he did not show it, it pained him greatly that Percy had left. As big a git as he was, he was still his brother.

Ron's brain finally registered what his mother had said: Harry was going to join the Order! Would Harry be the only one, or would they allow Hermione and himself to join as well. Perhaps, if they asked hard enough… Though he could not wait to see his best mate again, that was not the only reason he wanted to go to Grimmauld Place.

"That's not fair mum. I deserve to see Harry and Sirius again as well. May I _please_ come to Grimmauld Place?" Ron asked.

The twins listened to Ron as he asked. Suddenly, unbidden, Fred and George heard Ron's voice within their heads.

_Please let them make me go. Please let them make me go._

Ron's voice sounded over and over in their heads as he thought the mantra to himself. They shared equal looks of confusion. Both of them had wondered what had been going on in their brother's mind. Seconds later, they could hear their brother's distinct voice speaking in their minds.

The feeling was odd. Not only could they hear what Ron was thinking at the fore-front of his mind, but they could also hear other, seemingly random thoughts drifting through his mind at the same time. They both sat down, holding their heads in their hands and trying to escape from Ron's mind.

The twins barely registered their parents asking them what was wrong. They could hear Ron's thoughts worrying about them. As his thoughts swirled around in their minds, their confusion continued to mount. They tried to speak to each other through their connection, trying to overpower Ron's voice.

Soon enough, Ron's voice faded and disappeared completely. Their headaches eased considerably. As Fred and George looked up, they noticed that their mother and Ron were looking at them worriedly.

When they saw their father about to call for help on the Floo out of the corner of their eyes, they quickly stopped him. Thinking quickly of a cover story, they said that they simply had headaches thinking about their business, and how it, along with having to watch Harry at night, was taking a slight toll on them. With the pretense of wanting to go to bed, they walked up the stairs to the little bedroom they shared.

As they closed their door behind them and locked it, they stared at one other. Though they had always been able to hear each other's thoughts, they had never heard anyone else's thoughts before. Were their Sodalite powers expanding? Deciding to research it in the morning, the twins went to their respective beds and tried to fall asleep…

* * *

Ginny woke suddenly, cold sweat running down her face. Her heart beat rapidly, and her breath came irregularly. She tried to calm herself, reminding herself that she was safe in her room at the Burrow, and that Tom could not get to her. 

Ginny had dreamt of her first year, memories of Tom possessing her haunting her sleeping hours. Her dreams distorted reality, however, and in them Harry never managed to rescue her. In an attempt to save her, he was always trapped and killed by an Avada Kedavra curse sent by Tom. All to save **her**…

She had stopped having those dreams for two years, but they had come back at full-force after the events of Department of Mysteries.

Her thought moved onto Harry, but she quickly pushed them to the back of her mind. Ginny might have been over her 'school-girl crush' of him. That had been different, an obsession with the Boy-Who-Lived, not Harry. When she had gotten to know him, she had wanted him even more, but he had never seemed to notice her. That did not stop her from having a small crush on him, and wishing he felt the same way about her. She had almost given up on him ever noticing her, but held a tiny grain of hope. Harry had been through so much, and she wished that she could be the one to comfort him.

Shaking her head, she looked out of her bedroom window. Morning had yet to come, and Ginny estimated it to be about 2 o'clock. She was about to try to fall back asleep when she heard yelling coming from the kitchen. Worried as she heard her mother and father's raised voices, Ginny quickly pulled off her covers.

As she ran down the stairs, she nearly collided with the twins. They did not even register her presence as they passed her and went off into their rooms. Shrugging at their uncommon behavior, she continued down into the kitchen.

"May I _please_ go to Grimmauld Place. I have every right to see my best mate again, especially now that Sirius is back," Ron pleaded to his parents.

"What did you say? Sirius is back? Harry is at Grimmauld Place? What did I sleep through exactly?" Ginny asked, extremely confused.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley explained to their only daughter the events that had transpired the night before. Ginny breathed deeply to take it all in. She was so happy for Harry! He had been extremely sullen after the events at the Department of Mysteries. Now that he had his godfather back…

Ginny could hardly believe that Harry would be joining the Order! From the excited look on Ron's face, she knew that he seemed to believe that he might be able to join as well. _It's not as though they are ever going to let_ **me** _into the Order. Though it would be nice to see Harry and Sirius again._

"Mum. Dad. I want to go to Grimmauld Place too. If Ron gets to go, I should be allowed as well," Ginny said. Though neither of their parents had actually said yes to Ron yet, she knew her mother well enough to know that, if she was not considering it, she would have answered 'no' right away.

Their parents shared a look, a look that only a married couple could give, and then looked back at their children.

"Yes, you can go. But only if I see you marching straight up to bed this instant. It would not do to have you fall asleep on your friend," Mrs. Weasley barked. Her children ran to obey her, smiles plastered on their faces.

* * *

Harry bid Slytherin a quick good-bye as he walked into Ravenclaw's chambers. The brightly lit room had smooth yellow walls. The ceiling was painted blue with clouds of white, and was enchanted to move like the sky on a beautiful day. The windows on the far side of the room held a wonderful view of a flowered field. The marshes went on as far as the eye could see. Eternal sunshine beamed into the room, lighting every crevice. Though not big on flowers in particular, Harry loved the sense of freedom the room held. 

A beautiful woman in her mid-thirties walked into the room. Her long chestnut hair was tied back with a blue bow. She wore an elegant blue gown that ended just above the floor, the perfect color for Ravenclaw. The wrists of her dress were made of golden lace, as was her collar.

Ravenclaw introduced herself, and led Harry through several doors and into a room that mirrored the style of a Hogwarts classroom. She explained that they would alternate each day between Transfiguration and Charms. She then proceeded to go through an overview of all the Transfiguration spells he had learned at Hogwarts, much as Gryffindor had.

Her teaching method reminded Harry of Professor McGonagall. Though their physical appearances vastly contrasted (as did their ages), both methods were precise and accurate. Ravenclaw wasted no time, and went directly into the topic at hand. They sped through all of the spells quickly, stopping only when he seemed to have difficulty in casting the spell wandlessly.

With all the practice he had been getting, Harry was able to cast every spell he had already seen and used with perfect precision. He had even learned the exact amount of magic to extract depending on how much force he wanted to put into the spell.

The only problem that presented itself was when he tried to use multiple spells one after the other. If he tried several times, he managed to succeed. He knew, however, that he would not be given several chances in front of Voldemort, and needed to correct the problem as soon as he can. Ravenclaw assured him that, with practice, he would adjust to staying in a magical trance long enough to rapidly cast spells.

When they were done, Ravenclaw gave him a potion and led Harry to Hufflepuff's quarters. The lesson was similar to that of the day before. She spent the lesson going through each of the potions again, reminding him of the potency of each one, and telling him which potions were not to be used in conjunction with others. Hufflepuff was pleased to note that he had retained some of the knowledge of the day before. She ended by giving him a book, outlining all the healing potions known to wizardkind.

She quizzed Harry on all that he had learnt with her that day as she led him outside and to Ryder's training area. She wished Harry luck and left him, leaving him to wonder what exactly he was supposed to do.

* * *

**A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter you will meet Ryder! Not to mention Ginny and Harry will be meeting at Grimmauld Place! I know most of you have been looking forward to that. Do not, however, expect Harry and Ginny to couple up or anything. Following canon, Harry is not exactly the brightest chap when it comes to figuring out woman… and his own feelings. Sigh Oh well, it should be happening soon enough…**

**Don't forget to review everyone! Your feedback is always great, and makes me write super long chapters! **

**I expect next chapter will be much longer than this one, because quite a bit has to happen, and it will be out in a while. I really apologize, but January is the toughest month for me, and I not only have a bunch of schoolwork, but I am in this big science competition that revolves around Nanotechnology, stem cells and regenerative limbs, so I am doing a lot of research on the topic. I am also in Robotics, and am head engineer, which means that I have to do a lot of work getting our Robot up and running by competition date. And my Karate lessons are starting up this week, and I do that three times a week, as well as volunteering at the hospital. I also try to have a semblance of a social life… So, I hope to have next chapter up as soon as I can, so cross your fingers.**

**On to the review responses:**

**Nimbirosa**: Thanks for the review! Harry has to spend time training, as I feel that it is important. By next chapter, however, you will have officially met the entire Celestial Guidance Council, and things will move smoothly from there. i.e. More time with Ginny **winkwink** **nudgenudge** And all that training with Nedra and Kael... needless to say his muscles will develop a bit, eh? Hehe, I couldn't resist either! Now go and write your own story!

**TankerMDX:** Don't worry, I don't take it as a flame. I feel that Ginny was extremely shy around Harry for the first four books, but is becoming increasing open with Harry, especially after the Department of Mysteries. Things are always easier to say in a letter rather than face-to-face anyways! And I do not believe that Hermione and Harry will get together, because she sees him as a brother. Even J.K. has said as much! Thanks for the review anyways, and I hope that having Harry and Ginny together will not stop you from reading the story. There is a lot of action and adventure, I promise!

**Dr. Gero**: Thanks for the review! You don't believe that Snape can be trusted. I may not like the greasy git, but if Dumbledore trusts him... I'm sure he can be trusted! You know, I would love to 'debate' that with you, because I want to know your side of it! If you want, you can leave your e-mail in your next review, and I will add you on hotmail! Only if you want... Yes, the water game with the mat is real. It is one of the best water games ever!

The museum is really great! Hold on, did you just say tour group? What tour group? Umm... I hope I find my way out soon... Hello? **Panics **How am I supposed to write if I am stuck in this creepy place? My soul will be fine if I don't go near the spirits? **runs around in circles to avoid ghosts **Umm... bye!

**Aishwarya**: Thanks for the review! Yes, that is exactly what Merlin meant! It was meant to be confusing, as Merlin often speaks in riddles, and what he says may have many different interpretations!

**RealityIntrovert**: **blushes** You really mean it? You think I'm talented! Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me!

**TwistedFlames**: You don't want to know what would have happened... I do! Lmao! Marble cake and chocolate/banana muffins coming right up!

**Thanks once again to all those that reviewed! Now, please go on and review again! Next chapter up as soon as I can, I promise!

* * *

**


	15. Cella Idoneus

**Celestial Guidance**

**by Flying Pixie (Lady Lyssa)**

**Disclaimer**: All the Harry Potter characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I am not making any money doing this (unfortunately) and am doing it for the sole purpose of having fun and improving my writing. The plot andthe characters who you do not recognize belong to me! The quote is by Wayne Gretzky.

**A/N**: Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you to my betas TwistedFlames and Nimbirosa. To my most loyal fans, I present the fifteenth chapter. Enjoy!

_Mind speech is done in Italics! So are Harry's thoughts, but that is mind speech, in a sense!

* * *

_

**Cella Idoneus **

_- You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take._

Wayne Gretzky

* * *

As Hufflepuff left him, Harry was left to examine his surroundings. He was standing on a grass clearing with grass greener than he had ever seen before. A hundred meters away to the left, a forest began suddenly, tall trees reaching high above him. Unlike the Forbidden Forest, however, this forest had a soft, calming effect on him. To his right was a beautiful lake. Not for the first time, Harry wished he knew how to swim properly. 

The sun shone high above in a crystalline blue sky, and Harry found it hard to believe that none of this was real as he allowed the sun to soak through his body. Not seeing any sign of Ryder, Harry took the chance to lie down on the lush grass. He wished more than anything that he had his Firebolt with him. With a pang of sadness he realized that it was still locked in the dungeons, and remembered the lifelong ban that had been placed on him.

A sudden shadow passed over Harry. He looked up, the realization dawning that Ryder was standing above him. Harry took slowly to his feet, trying to act calm and collected, unable to believe that he had not heard the elf approach.

He scoured the grass stains from his black robes with a quick charm, thankful that he had remembered to change from the multi-coloured robes he had 'designed' before any other members of his Celestial Council had seen him. Gryffindor would have had a laugh had he seen them…

Harry's eyes moved back to Ryder, realizing that this was the first time that he had seen the elf up close. Harry was once again reminded of the elves in his History of Magic textbooks. Ryder stood tall, with pale skin and mesmerizing blue eyes that held a hint of mischief. He wore his long, blond hair tied loosely back to keep it from getting in his eyes.

Ryder had, of course, the pointed ears of his kind. Harry could not help but stare for a few seconds before he realized what he was doing and looked away. He hated it when others stared at his forehead, and he assumed that elves felt the same way about their ears.

As Harry examined the elf's magic, he noticed that the elf had more magic than did most of the other humans Harry had encountered, save Dumbledore and Merlin. He also had more Natural Magic, Healing Magic and Transfiguration Magic than wizards, presumably because of his heritage.

Realizing that someone of Ryder's might want to be acknowledged formally, Harry bowed just enough to show respect. At least, he hoped that was what he was showing. At times he wished he were better at handling these types of situations.

Laughing openly, Ryder signalled for Harry to stand straight.

"Now that we are on the topic of introductions, my name is Ryder Galahad," he said in a carefree tone, bowing as he spoke. He stood straight quickly.

"My name is Harry Potter, very nice to meet you," Harry answered, bowing once again.

Ryder sat on the grass, and motioned for Harry to follow suit. As Harry sat, he examined the elf's clothing. Ryder wore simple brown pants, and a plain green shirt. Over them he wore a brilliant cloak of green and brown hues, of a material that Harry had never before laid eyes on. The cloak's colours swirled and coalesced as the elf shifted positions.

Seeing what Harry was looking at, Ryder explained, "This is a cloak made by my kind, the Forest Elves. It makes it nigh on impossible to spot us when we are in the forest."

Harry nodded, satisfied with the explanation.

"Harry, as you are already aware, I am to be your mentor and train you in the ways of Animagus Transforming. You must understand that this will not be easy work, but I have been assured that you are up to the challenge."

Suddenly, he felt Ryder searching through his very core. As the odd presence left, Harry saw Ryder smile at him.

"The road ahead will not be easy for you. If you continuously strive for perfection, however, you will do wonderfully."

Not leaving Harry time to wonder the meaning behind his words, Ryder continued, "Before you can start training to become your Animagus form, you must figure out what your form is. Enter a trance just like Merlin taught you."

In less than a second Harry had done as told.

"Excellent. Now, you must search deep inside of you and discover what your form is."

Harry sat peacefully, trying to figure it out. After half an hour of sitting and searching, however, he became impatient.

"Can't you give me better instructions?" Harry paused, realizing his words were a bit too harsh. "What exactly am I looking for anyway?"

"You will know it when you feel it," Ryder said vaguely, before entering his own trance and meditating.

_How helpful_, Harry thought. Diligently, however, he went back to work. Ryder had not been kidding when he had said that Harry would have to work hard.

An hour later, Harry found himself in front of Merlin's chambers. He had not, to his great disappointment, been able to find anything useful to help him discover his 'inner animal', but Ryder had not lost faith. He told Harry to practice during the day, and that he would discover it when he was ready.

Ryder had offered Harry another potion, but he had declined. He did not feel that drained and decided it would be better if he became accustomed to using magic without being replenished every hour. Ryder smiled, almost as if expecting Harry's explanation, and quickly put the potion away.

Training with Merlin was straightforward this lesson. Wanting to strengthen Harry's reflexes, magic, and duelling techniques all in one exercise, Merlin challenged him to a Wizard's Duel, without Seconds.

Rather than duelling in the normal arena, Merlin decided that simply duelling in the empty room Harry had used to first unleash his magic would be better, as it would give them more freedom. Before beginning, Merlin changed into a twenty-year-old version of himself. Harry looked on, stunned, as Merlin's infamous beard disappeared, and the white hair was replaced with sandy brown locks. He grew several inches taller, making him taller than Harry. His face lost his wrinkles, and his eyes held a lot more energy.

Seeing Harry's questioning gaze, Merlin spoke, "You can't very well expect us to duel with me as a two-hundred and fifty year old, do you? As much respect as I gain in my old age, nothing can match the energy of a young adult."

Harry entered a trance, trying not to seem too thrown off by the young Merlin. They circled each other a few times, each waiting for the other to attack first. Merlin shot a stunner at Harry. Expecting this, Harry dodged and shot two of his own. They traded shots back and forth, testing each other's speeds. Harry knew that, though he matched and even slightly surpassed Merlin for speed and agility, he had nowhere near the same magical prowess.

Quickly growing bored of the simple exchange of spells between the two of them, Harry's mind began coming up with a strategy. Before he could implement it, however, he sensed a stunner coming up from behind. He quickly threw himself to the side, and stood up. Two identical Merlins were standing in front of him, both with magical auras. Harry had no idea which was the real Merlin, and which was a magical clone.

With sudden inspiration, Harry knew what to do, though did not know if he had the strength to pull it off. He pulled twice as much magic as he normally did, and focused hard on sending the magic in not one, but two separate directions. Concentrating hard, he unleashed the magic.

Grinning, Harry saw the magic spread out and diverge into two separate courses, each aimed at a different Merlin. The magic hit the fake Merlin, who disappeared as soon as it came into contact with the magic. The other Merlin – the real one- dodged the spell. He, too, wore a smile on his face.

"Excellent. You have improved much, though there is still much more to do." Merlin said. He bowed again, indicating the end of the duel.

After teaching Harry how to create his own magical clone (who did not want to appear for more than a minute or two at a time, much to Merlin's great amusement and Harry's great annoyance (repetition doesn't work unless it's for real effect)), Merlin informed Harry that their training time was over, and reminded him that he would not improve without serious practice.

With a wave of Merlin's hand, and a quick shouted "Good luck in joining the Order!" from his Mentor, Harry left the Dream World.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes blearily and sat up in bed, running a hand through his messy jet-black hair. Remus was awake in the bed across from him, deeply immersed in a novel. Sirius, on the other hand, was deep asleep in the bed next to him. 

Harry suddenly noticed an unusual weight around his neck. Looking down, he noticed that he still wore the Dragon Stone, despite being in the real world. Realizing that its presence would raise questions, he stuffed it inside his shirt hurriedly. Thankfully, Remus had not yet noticed that he had awoken.

"What time is it?" Harry asked groggily, alerting the older man.

"Almost ten o'clock."

"Good morning."

"Good morning to you too," Remus said, quickly putting his book away.

The two looked down on Sirius' supine form, and looked back at each other, both wearing identical malicious looks. They slipped quietly out of bed and towards Sirius.

"You can have the honours, Harry," Moony said, grinning from ear to ear.

"It would be my pleasure."

With a quick wave of his wand and a few choice words, buckets of water began pouring themselves onto Sirius' sleeping form. Sirius jumped up from the cold, awake in seconds.

"I'll get you back for this Harry, mark my words!"

"Funny, that's what I thought you said last time," Harry said, remembering the broom incident.

When Remus looked puzzled, Harry explained how he had transfigured the brooms, careful not to mention the wandless part.

"Great work Harry; that is very high level magic! I take it you have been practicing," Remus laughed. "Score two for Harry, score zero for Sirius! Sirius, you are a Marauder, you are giving the rest of us a bad name, you know."

Remus winked at Harry, and the two of them ran down the stairs, a drenched Sirius running after them. Harry smiled freely, happy to have Sirius back, and happy to see Remus so alive again.

The two of them bounded down into the kitchen, Sirius hot on their heels. Tonks, with her trademark bubble gum pink hair, Shacklebolt and Dumbledore already sat at the table. Mrs. Weasley was busy flipping pancakes.

"Good morning! Sit down, all three of you. Breakfast is almost ready. Harry dear, Mr. Weasley should be bringing Ron, Fred, George and Ginny along in about an hour. You'd best eat and clean up before they arrive."

She served all six at the table, with double the portions for Harry. Harry couldn't believe he was going to see his friends again! He ate Mrs. Weasley's delicious pancakes quickly, before running upstairs. Embarrassed by his ugly cast-offs, he changed into one of the nicest pairs of clothes that he had with him (which in truth simply meant whichever fit him half-way decently). Dumbledore had had his clothes magically transported to Grimmauld Place. Harry hoped that the Hogwarts' Headmaster was still in the dark about the changes to his room.

Harry had turned to open his door to wait for his friends downstairs when it opened of its own accord, and his bushy-haired friend attacked him.

"'Mione, please," Harry managed to choke out, hardly able to breath.

Grinning, she backed down, mumbling an apology. In the doorway behind them stood Ron and Ginny. Ron went up to him and patted his back awkwardly. As Harry examined his best friend's aura, he noticed more purple than in any of the others he had yet seen. Harry tucked that piece of information at the back of his mind for later use. Ginny walked in confidently, hugging him lightly in greeting before pulling back gracefully, blushing only slightly.

Harry smiled at Ginny before turning his attention back to Hermione.

"What are you doing here, Hermione?" he asked.

"Several members of the Order are adding protective wards around my house for the next few days, so my parents and I are staying here in the meantime."

Without warning, the Weasley twins, energetic as always, bounded into the room.

"Harry, we heard the great news."

"We're really happy for you mate."

"Where is the good ol' man anyway?"

"The 'good ol' man' is right here, thank you very much, and would like to tell you that he does not like being referred to as such," Sirius said, walking into the room.

"SIRIUS!" exclaimed the Weasleys, all happy to see the man they had presumed dead. Hermione seemed happy as well, though did not show it as much as the others. She did not seem extremely surprised at his entrance, and had obviously been 'briefed' on her way there.

When Sirius and the twins left to help Dumbledore summon the Order members to Headquarters, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry all sat on the floor. After Harry quickly explained to Hermione what was happening, they all exchanged their disbelief of what Harry was about to do.

Ron whistled. "I cannot believe that mum hasn't chained you to the floor to prevent you from joining the Order. Mum hadn't even allowed the twins to join until they were out of Hogwarts, _and_ they were of age!"

Ginny and Harry laughed, and Hermione smiled.

"I know! I couldn't believe it myself! She was mad, of course, but she seems to trust Dumbledore's decisions. I can still hardly believe that I am finally allowed to join!"

Silence reigned for several seconds, everyone's minds on what the future would hold.

"Guys…" Harry started off slowly, unsure of how best to phrase his words. "At the end of last year … what you did for me at the Department of Mysteries… I am so glad to know that I have friends like you that I can count on." Harry paused briefly. "I want you to join the Order as well. We have all been through more than some of the men and women that call themselves members, and we all deserve to join. I know you want to, so what do you say?"

At first Harry had not wanted to involve them in any way, wanting to keep them sheltered from the pain and suffering caused by war. However, they were too close to him not to become involved, and he knew that once he told them about the prophecy, they would want to help more than anything. They deserved the chance to help out, and in some ways he felt that they were even safer in the Order than out.

Ron laughed, "Sorry Harry, but as much as we would love to join, there is no _way_ that we would be allowed in."

Harry did not laugh. "I have no doubt that Dumbledore will let you join, if I ask it of him. Suffice it to say that he owes me one. Don't worry about having permission; I just want to make sure that you are positive that you want to join."

"Definitely. I would never dream of missing an opportunity such as this," Hermione said, smiling broadly.

"Bloody Hell! I have always wondered what it would be like to join the Order. Of course I would join! We know what will be expected of us, and we will do our part," Ron said, showing particular maturity. Or stupidity.

"We are with you until the very end Harry."

Ginny's words touched everyone in the room. Little did they know that it would not be the last time that those fateful words were uttered.

* * *

Merlin strode into the Fates' abode. The three sisters were working as usual, their job never ceasing. Even as Merlin entered, Clotho did not stop forming her threads, Lachesis did not stop her weaving, and Atropos did not stop her cutting. 

"Hello Merlin. As always, it is a pleasure to see you here," Atropos said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"How long do you expect me to keep Harry in the dark? He deserves to know everything. He has questions, and my Council and I are not going to be the ones to answer them. When are you going to contact him? You gave me your word," Merlin said.

"Straight to business, as always, I see," Lachesis said. As she turned around, Merlin noticed faint, but visible, stress lines on her forehead and around her eyes. She had been working hard to ensure than the Tapestry kept Sirius in its folds, and to add protective measures to make it even more difficult for Voldemort to change it. Merlin knew that the lines would fade, in time, and prayed that things would go smoothly for them in the future.

"You must not worry so much Merlin, we will contact him when the time is right. Do not question us," Clotho added, as she saw Merlin about to speak.

Wordlessly, Merlin opened a Portal and stepped into the Dream World. How many days did he have to prepare until Harry came back? Not for the first time, Merlin found himself wishing that time could speed up until his next lesson….

* * *

Remus and Sirius strode through the bedroom door without knocking, Sirius' loud footsteps alerting the occupants of the room to their presence long before they had entered. 

"It is time Harry," Sirius said in his best 'omnipotent' voice.

Remus and Harry traded glances, and both began laughing madly, not even bothering to hide their amusement. Sirius grinned as well, always able to laugh at himself. The Marauders led the others down the stairs and into the entrance hall. The six of them could hear the loud voices coming from downstairs, making it hard to hear anything. _Just how many people are in the Order?_

"Careful of that vase Hermione," Ron said in warning as they crossed the dark hall.

"What did you say Ron?" Hermione asked.

She turned her head to look at Ron, and bumped into the black china vase sitting on a pedestal against the wall. Reflexes quick as ever, Harry jumped to catch the vase before it crashed to the floor. He put it atop its counter once more, hearing Sirius mutter something that sounded awfully like 'Pity! Always hated that one.' under his breath. The others, who had heard Ron's first comment, first looked shocked, and then began to laugh at the disbelief present on Ron's face.

Sirius led the way down the flight of stone steps, the others following closely behind. Further thoughts of vases and coincidences were cut off when Harry entered the kitchen. He had not been prepared for what he next saw…

* * *

"Have they been able to locate the Shackles?" 

Voldemort laughed, a high-pitched malicious laugh that resounded in the chamber, as he saw Pettrigrew kneel before him, quivering with fear. How he enjoyed his power!

"They have not yet been able t- to trace the Shackles, m-m-Master," Pettrigrew said, trembling. He knew that his Master never liked to be disappointed.

"It would seem that I have been too lenient with you, Pettigrew. Perhaps another dose of the Cruciatus would help that."

Pettigrew braced himself for what was coming, though that only made it worse. Voldemort cast the curse without any remorse, actually taking pleasure in hearing the worthless scum at his feet scream.

After a few minutes, Voldemort lifted the curse. Pettrigrew lay on the floor, still writhing in pain.

"Get out of my sight. I expect better reports next time. I cannot afford to lose this war because of your incompetence."

Pettrigrew scrambled to his feet as fast as he could.

"Yes, my liege," he responded, before all but running out of the stone-cold room.

Nagini hissed athim before curling around her master.

"Yesssss Nagini. Ssssoon we will have the Ssshackless, and everything ssshall be ourssss," Voldemort spoke to her in Parseltongue.

Voldemort banged his fist on a nearby table. Why were so many of his followers so inefficient? The air crackled dangerously in the room, and even Nagini seemed frightened by it. He fingered the Chain of Saberitus hanging on his pale neck. He had been using the Chain's power to store some of his own, and to help him control the powers he had. Voldemort had yet, however, to unlock the full potential of the object. Why was it being so evasive?

Voldemort had searched through every single Dark Arts textbook he could find, but none described _how_ to wield the object's power. He could be patient, however, if it meant winning the war. And so, he continued his search for clues on how to use the Chain and the Blood Raven Crystal to their full potential.

Voldemort's thoughts brought him to the third and final object he would need to win the war. The Astral Shackles were legendary objects, first discovered by the Atlantians. Research on them had been easy; it had been locating them that was – and remained – the difficult part.

From his extensive research, Voldemort had gathered that the Astral Shackles were employed using an ancient blood charm. The Shackles consisted of three oval pieces of gold, with barbs on the flat sides. The curved sides were encrusted with highly carved pieces of quartz. Intricate Ancient Rune carvings were carved onto the flat side, in between barbs.

Whenone of the Shackles was placed on someone's neck, and the other two on their wrists, the bards would break the surface of the skin and magically attach themselves to the person. The blood of the person would flow through the intricate carvings and fuel the blood magic. The barbs would then send the magic through the person's blood and bones, and anchor the charm to the person's entire body.

Once done, the Astral magic bound to the Shackles would take effect. Thick webs of Astral threads would erupt from this charm, and envelop the person from head to toe, resulting in the wearer losing all contact with time and space. Their soul trapped without possible escape in the Astral Planes, their body would be left under the full control of whomever had placed the Shackles on the prisoner.

Best of all, in Voldemort's mind, no one could remove the Astral Shackles unless either the Astral threads surrounding the person were broken, which Voldemort knew to be impossible, or if the Shackles were removed by whomever had placed them on the imprisoned one.

Voldemort smiled maliciously simply thinking about the great power the Shackles held, his attempt at a smile distorting his snake-like face even further. He could not wait to wrap his hands around them, and put them personally on his enemy…

* * *

Though Harry had been laughing seconds before, completely carefree and uncaring, fear and uncertainty began to creep through his body as he looked around the room. Sirius, who had been in the lead, stopped short, taking a good look around the room. Harry heard sounds of shock and whispered curses coming from behind him. 

The kitchen had been transformed. Gone was the dingy, gloomy, cavernous room with the dreadful stonewalls and cramped seating. Gone were the menacing shapes of swinging iron pots and pans, hanging from a ceiling that could barely be seen through the haze of smoke, like the battlefields after a long, hard war.

_Someone decided to do a bit of late Spring Cleaning_, Harry thought to himself sarcastically. The room looked like nothing he had ever before seen, muggle or wizard. In front of Harry was a circular table, at which were seated sixteen men and women, reminding Harry of the pictures he had seen at his elementary school of King Arthur's Round Table. Seats were positioned all around the room in a hemisphere, beginning and ending with the exit through which he had just walked.

Harry could hear whispered murmurings coming from around the newly transformed meeting room. When Ron had told him the previous summer that he had met twenty Order members, but thought that there were more... it had been the understatement of the century.

Mentally calculating in his head, Harry guessed there to be over one hundred people in the room. _What's happening? Is this all for me? _Despite the good lighting, shadows were eerily cast over the back rows.

Suddenly, strange voices rushed unbidden into his mind, some in English, others in tongues he had never before heard. He groaned, trying to block them all out. _Heck of a time for my Sodalite powers to kick in_, Harry thought to himself. As he concentrated on forcing the voices out of his mind, they slowly faded, only to be replaced by Hermione's cries for his attention.

"I'm okay 'Mione," Harry said, despite feeling a headache coming on. A few voices lingered behind, belligerently refusing to go away. It was bearable, at the very least.

"What happened Harry?" Hermione asked, sounding nervous.

"Nothing. I'm okay, honest."

"Was it You-Know-Who?" Ron whispered, concerned.

"No! Really, it was nothing."

Harry gave them a look clearlytelling them that now was not the time, and they backed down quickly, though Hermione and Ginny still had looks of apprehension in their eyes.

Sirius, giving Harry a quick look of concern, led them towards the large, circular, wooden table at the center of the room.He transfigured three seats from thin air for Hermione, Ron and Ginny, who were obviously unexpected. As the chairs were about to materialize, Harry quickly played with the magic of the spell to create a nicer, more comfortable seat, satisfied to know that he was now able to enter a trance quickly. Merlin had been a good teacher...

Sirius, looking aghast when he saw chairs that he knew he had not meant to conjure, looked over at a smiling Harry and grinned.

The others, not having noticed, quickly took their seats. He waved to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Emmeline Vance, Shacklebolt and Tonks. They all waved back, though the Weasley parents looked less than pleased at the prospect of their children being there as well. Mundungus was fast asleep at the table, and Harry wondered what he was doing at the center table.

Snape sat next to Mundungus, looking asthough he would rather be in Voldemort's chambers than sitting next to the alcohol-smelling pile of rags beside him. Harry mentally noted that Hagrid was absent, and wondered what mission he was completing for the Order. The other nine people at the table he did not recognize.

Harry ignored his malicious Potions' professor and quickly sat between Remus and Sirius, still in disbelief over the number of people in the room. When Harry motioned to them, Remus began to explain in whispered tones.

"Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards and witches brought into the Order as possible, in order to extend its spheres of influence and power. Dumbledore can be very diplomatic when he wants to be. Since news of You-Know-Who's attack at the Ministry of Magic spread, Dumbledore has tried to convince wizards from around the globe to join the cause.

"He cannot go directly to the Wizarding leaders of the countries, of course, because Fudge would become suspicious again, and Dumbledore does not want his actions reaching Voldemort's ears.

"However, Dumbledore, with help from many others, has managed to branch the Order over all seven continents. Though, in the last war, England was left to its own devices (with very little help from Ireland), the other nations have learned their lessons, and many people are very eager to help us."

At Hermione's quizzical look, and when Harry asked how it was possible to have recruited people from all Antarctica, Remus explained that wizards had developed many populated communities in Antarctica. Unlike their human counterparts, who had been both unable and unwilling to survive in large numbers in the harsh environment, wizards of the early twelfth century were quickly able to develop the spells necessary to survive there.

Ron whistled loudly, ignoring glares from Hermione. Harry could not agree more. He had had no idea that the Order was that expansive. Of course, it made only sense when he began to think about it. From what he had learned of the First War against Voldemort, Voldemort had commanded huge armies, consisting of his Death Eaters, witches and wizards he had bullied, bewitched or forced, and a large variety of Dark Creatures of all shapes and sizes.

The Order of the Phoenix, as the largest defender against Voldemort that Harry knew of, needed to have enough men to stop Voldemort from taking over. As Lupin had pointed out the previous year, it was not as if Voldemort was planning on over-taking the Ministry with a dozen wizards at his side.

Harry turned from his thoughts, realizing that Remus had continued talking.

"Yes Hermione, you are right yet again. As intelligent as I remember from my year of teaching! Many in the Order have worked very hard at trying to recruit as many creatures as they can before You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters get to them first. Yes, we have recruited from many different erumpent herds and griffin clans. And of course, we can hardly forget the dragons!

"I do believe that we managed to recruit two Chinese Fireball _lea'chans_, loosely translated as 'family' or 'tribe' in the dragon tongue, one Hebridean Black _lea'chan_, two Norwegian Ridgeback _lea'chans_, and we have come very close to persuading two neighboring Romanian Longhorn clans to join our cause.

"Kaelin Linwelin and Haldamir Telemnar, two elves of the Order during the First War, are helping us to recruit many of their peoples. Their magic would be an infallible anchor to us. They have ancient knowledge that would – "

Remus suddenly let off, realizing to whom he was talking. Sirius wore a wolfish grin.

Remus continued, though he did not follow his previous train of though, "I believe that Dumbledore tried convincing the centaurs to listen to reason as well, but it did not amount to anything as far as I am aware of. Now, of course, there are no representatives here tonight from the larger creatures, but I believe I saw several elves at the back of the room."

That would explain the strange languages Harry had heard upon entering the room! It must have been the elves. Harry hoped that Ryder would teach him some elfish customs. It might come in handy in the future...

Hermione shook her head, disbelieving. "Professor, what you are saying does not make any sense. How was the Order even able to talk to half of these creatures, let alone manage to convince them to join us? Dumbledore would not drop down to Vol- Voldemort's level, would he?"

"No, of course not," Remus answered, shaking his head. "Dumbledore hired two men, oneby the name of Okapi Karna, the other Ryu Takahashi. Both are naturally gifted Beastmasters. Ry –"

"Beastmasters?" Harry interrupted, having never heard the term.

"Beastmasters are able to converse with animals. The more profound the talent, the more animals the wizard is able to speak to. Parseltongues, for example, are one of the many types of Beastmasters recorded in history, with their ability to speak to snakes." Hermione started off in a lecturing tone. "However, I still don't understand it Professor; most Beastmaster talents died out four centuries ago."

"A very good point, Hermione. The talent seems to have re-emerged in the past thirty years. Several known cases have been recorded in North America, northern Europe, southern Africa and East-Asia. Of course – "

Further explanations were cut off as everyone in the room began to stand. The sounds of seats scratching the floor, and people rustling aboutfilled the room for several seconds. Harry and his friends stood up along with the Order.

Within several seconds, not a sound could be heard in the room. Before long, the subject of everyone's attention came into view. Dumbledore, head of the Order of the Phoenix, walked into the high-ceilinged room.

Never before had Harry seen his headmaster look as majestic and noble as at that moment. Dumbledore wore fluid robes of deep purple, with amethysts inlaid around the collar. The robes were decorated with charmed constellations, and when he moved the stars came alive and moved in the syntillating, striking patterns of the night sky.

When Dumbledore reached the center of the table, he went to stand in front of the bare seat. "All sit," he said in a booming voice, the Sonorus charm enabling him to be heard throughout the room. People quickly took their seats yet again.

Dumbledore glanced at Harry's three 'unexpected' guests. He gave Harry a knowing look before addressing the Order.

"I call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to order. I greatly appreciate that all of you were able to arrive on such short notice. It has been far too long since all of us have been together, and far longer since the entire Order of the Phoenix has been united. For obvious reasons, these past four months have been too hectic to provide chances for all of us to come together. There have been many recent events of which you must be made aware, before you return to your respective regions and spread the news to the rest of the Order members there. First and foremost, I would like to welcome Sirius, who is back among us," Dumbledore said, still under the effects of the Sonorus charm.

Those who had been in the first Order of the Phoenix and knew him clapped, but many others remained silent, still unused to the idea that he was not the mass-murderer they had previously thought him to be.

The leader of the Order continued, "I would also like to take this time to introduce you to several knew members of the Order. It is a pleasure for me to present Kaelin Linwelin and Haldamir Telemnar, representatives of the Elvish Sector of the Order, who are here today. Kaelin Linwelin is of the Blue Water Elves, and Haldamir is of the Green Forest Elves."

Clapping was heard throughout the room as Kaelin and Haldamir stood from their seats at the circular table. Both bowed to the people, and many bowed back, Harry included.

Kaelin wore a pale blue gown that ended at her ankles. Sapphires decorated the wrists of her long sleeves and the hem of her high collar. She wore beautiful, majestic sapphires in her hair, which reflected the light above. Kaelin wore her long, flowing blond hair down, reaching her waist. She had an air of royalty about her, her back straight, her chin slightly raised. Her sharp eyes looked at everyone around the room, lingering slightly longeron Harry.

Haldamir stood tall, though not quite as tall as Ryder. He had sharp features, short brown hair and dark green eyes, very similar to Harry's. Haldamir wore simple brown pants and a light auburn shirt. Much like Ryder, over his simple clothes he wore the cloak of his kind, its different shades of green and brown swirling and coalescing as the elf moved. His broad, muscular shoulders contrasted sharply to Kaelin's light form.

As soon as the two elves had been seated, Dumbledore continued, "It pleases me greatly to introduce to you two new members of the Order. They joined only five months ago, and their help and skills have been invaluable to our cause. Let me present Okapi Karna and Ryu Takahashi."

Respectful clapping was heard once more throughout the room as two men, seated at the opposite end of the table from Harry stood. Okapi Karna was a tall, African man in his late thirties. Remus explained to Harry that his Beastmaster talent was the most powerful of the two. He had come from the Bushmen tribes of the Kalahari Desert, where wizards and muggles co-existed happily. He wore simple wizard robes of a light brown color. He wore an easy-going smile, and his brown eyes sparkled with happiness.

Next to Okapi stood Ryu Takahashi, a Japanese man who Harry estimated to be in his late twenties. He wore a kimono with an elaborate pattern of dragons over a dark blue background and a matching belt over it.

The two sat down after a minute, and Dumbledore's voice rose once again.

"Last, but of course not least, it is my greatest pleasure to introduce General R.J. Patton, a great American military leader whose advanced battle tactics will present a great advantage to the Order of the Phoenix."

General Patton rose, applause filling the room for the third time that day. His eyes had the hard look of a man who had seen many battles, and of wisdom gained through ample experience. He had thinning gray hair, and looked to be entering his seventies. He stood straight and proud, wearing the typical military uniform with badges, medals and various militaristic insignias that Harry could only fathom the meaning of.

"A muggle?" Harry asked Remus quietly, curious. It was Sirius, however, who answered his question first.

"Yes. Wizards and muggles fight their wars in very contrasting styles. Dumbledore wants every advantage he can get, and he hopes that General Patton's knowledge can help put an extra, unexpected edge to our fighting techniques," Sirius explained.

Harry nodded. It appeared that Dumbledore was taking many steps to ensure victory over Voldemort's armies. _A whole lot of good that will do him! _I_'m the one who is going to have to beat Voldemort in the end, no matter what happens._

The General sat back down, and Dumbledore addressed the crowd, "I called you here today to present to you these five new members to the Inner Circle of the Order of the Phoenix who, unfortunately, were unable to be presented to you sooner. As the more astute among you will already have realized, another important order of business today is to allow Mr. Harry Potter to join our ranks in the Inner Circle."

Many people in the room began to shout, most, in between crude language, to say that it was unjust to bend the rules and allow an underage wizard into their ranks. A few others said that he was unworthy, though they were quieted almost immediately. Others said that it was dangerous to allow him to join the Order. The shouts went on for several minutes before Dumbledore quieted them with a wave of his hand.

"The _Cella Idoneus_ will decide whether or not he is prepared to enter our ranks, and I have no doubt that he will succeed."

Harry pictured the void in his mind's eye, and entered all of his emotions and feelings into it until he was ready to face the crowd. He rose from his seat patiently, staring Dumbledore in the eye as though he had all the time in the world. It was Dumbledore who looked away first. Harry chose his words carefully; he was, after all, in front of many important people.

"With respect, I would also like to invite Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Ginevra Weasley to join the Order of the Phoenix. If I am to be given the chance to join the Order, then so shall they. They possess all of the necessary qualities. They have shown great loyalty to our cause and our fight against Voldemort."

There were several gasps of surprise at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, but Harry did not even pause.

"They have shown great courage in the face of danger, not even pausing to consider the danger when someone's life was at risk. They deserve to join the Order of the Phoenix ten times over. They may seem young to you, but they are adults in spirit and experience."

Harry let his eyes swoop across the room, focussing his attention on almost every person before letting his eyes fall on Dumbledore several minutes later. Not a single person in the room spoke up. He sat down gracefully, and the room was filled with even more of an uproar than before, the loudest complaints coming from the Weasley matriarch. People had, after all, heard of the exploits of the famous Harry Potter; heard of his bravery in the face of the darkest wizard on the Earth, and were willing toaccept him.Three of his school companions were an entirely different matter.

His three friends, however, were grinning from ear to ear at his proud proclamation.

The room settled down after a few minutes of fueled anger, waiting to see what their leader had to say about the change of events.

"I repeat my previous words. We must let the _Cella Idoneus_ decide their worth. Every current Order of the Phoenix has gone through the chamber, and it is only right to let them have the same chance. Let the ceremony begin."

Dumbledore turned to the four teenagers, his hand motioning for them to stand. Harry stood, as did the others. Hermione, Ron and Ginny wore an expression similar to his: one of sheer determination.

"I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, as head of the Order of the Phoenix, proclaim that Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginevra Weasley and Harry Potter are each, to myutmost knowledge,worthy to join the Order of the Phoenix. They will enter the _Cella Idoneus_, just as every member of the Order of the Phoenix has done before them, and will continue to do. If the chamber accepts them, then they shall be considered worthy and shall join our ranks."

Harry noted that no mention was made as to what would happen if the chamber rejected them, whatever the chamber was.

"If anyone in this room has any objection to this procedure, as it is written in the Code of the Phoenix, then speak up now or forever hold your peace," Dumbledore said in a very formal matter, unlike his usual self.

No one spoke up, a fact for which Harry was very grateful. Mrs. Weasley, however, looked very put out, and was being comforted by her husband.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, before turning once more to the four. "The _Cella Idoneus_ is a chamber created by myself and several other members of the Order of the Phoenix to prevent unworthy members from betraying us. This system allows us to root out members who would be – unfaithful to our fight against Voldemort."

_So they had learned their lesson. At least one good thing had come from Pettigrew,_ Harry thought sarcastically to himself.

"I present to you, the _Cella Idoneus_," Dumbledore said.

With a majestic wave of his wand, and a string of words in an unknown language, an arch appeared in front of them. The wooden arc stood twice his height, and almost every part of it was carved in Ancient Runes. Through it, Harry could still see the Order members from across the room. Where was the chamber?

"The chamber lies through the arc," Dumbledore stated, as though reading his very thoughts. "One must cross the arch in order to enter the chamber. Everybody experiences something different, and it is up to you whether or not you wish to share your experiences with others." Dumbledore paused for several seconds. "Who would like to enter first?" he asked, as if he were asking about the weather outside.

Harry looked at the others. Ron seemed a bit nervous, as if unsure what the chamber might do to him, but was ready to face what was coming. Ginny had an equal look of determination on her face, and Harry doubted anyone could stop her now that she had her mind set on entering the chamber. A trait handed down from her mother, Harry was sure.

Hermione, however, looked more curious than anything, as if the arch and the hidden chamber was simply another puzzle for her to figure out. Harry doubted that he would ever understand her. Even at that moment she was leaning slightly towards the arch, hoping to go in first.

Harry himself knew that his turn would come eventually, and did not care when it came. Harry motioned for Hermione to go in first, and she happily complied with a smile on her face. Ron looked relieved, but Harry did not see the emotion on Ginny's face change. _She really is pretty when she has her battle-face on._ Where had that come from? Harry shook his head, focusing his thoughts back on Hermione and the chamber.

Dumbledore had said something, though Harry had apparently missed it. Hermione paused in front of the arch, slightly hesitant about entering. Steeling her resolve, she took a deep breath and walked through.

* * *

"How long do you believe it will take you?" Clotho asked her sister. 

Lachesis thought a while before answering. "I am not sure. This has never been tried before. The protections we are talking about might take a few straight weeks of work, or even longer."

"Perhaps if we join all of our energies, it will shorten the amount of time. This must be done quickly…" Clotho said, eager to find a solution.

Atropos, always the wisest, spoke next. "True. However, this will require much more magic than we have ever dealt with before. We cannot risk all three of us being incapacitated for even a week's time."

The three sisters thought in silence. Their minds weaved the plan together, thoughts working faster than words ever could, answers coming in a mixture of mental words and pictures. They all came to the same conclusion: a project of this magnitude would require a lot of pure, unguided magic.

_Would Merlin's magic be enough alone?_ Clotho asked.

_His powers would help, of course. However, sisters, we need enough power to replace at least one of us, and the magic of living beings is much more flexible. The way I see it, we need Lachesis to guide the magic, because she understands the Pattern of the Tapestry more than the two of us combined. Clotho, you weaved enough of the Threads of Life to last us for a month, and I can weave the new threads well enough not to cause any problems. If any do arise, you can always take over for Lachesis while she fixes the problem. All in agreement?_ Atropos asked.

_Of course, sister. However, we must still deal with who will have enough power to join Merlin, _Lachesis reminded her.

_We are all aware that there are only three living beings alive with the power we need. With Tom on the Dark Side, however, and Dumbledore too old to handle a spell like this… there is only one who would be able to finish the job properly,_ Atropos thought.

Their next thoughts were identical.

_Harry Potter.

* * *

_

Hermione walked through the arch, and disappeared. Harry tried not to appear shocked on the outside, but inside his mind was racing one hundred words a second. _She must be in the chamber! How long is she going to be? What is happening to her in there? I hope she's alright._

The minutes seemed to stretch on for hours, everyone holding their breaths. Suddenly, the arch glowed white, with a slight tinge of blue. A few people in the crowd gasped audibly. People began clapping for her when, after what Harry estimated must have been a little over twenty minutes since she had first entered, Hermione appeared out of the other end.

Her hair was slightly disordered and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, but other than that she looked unharmed. She had a great smile on her face that Harry recognized from Hogwarts, when she had achieved something difficult and was proud of her accomplishments.

Harry smiled back at her, hoping that she had joined the Order of the Phoenix. They all seemed to hold much faith in what Harry had dubbed the 'chamber method' of deciding who was worthy.

"Congratulations Hermione, and welcome to the Order of the Phoenix. Who shall be next?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling madly.

Ron stepped forward bravely.

"Mr. Weasley, in order to join the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix, you must first enter the _Cella Idoneus_. Are you prepared to face whatever will happen?" Dumbledore asked Ron.

"Yes," Ron said resolutely.

With a few whispered words of encouragement from Harry, Ron stepped through the arch as well. Harry waited with bated breath, praying that his best mate would make it through.

Twenty minutes later, the arch shone white once more, though there appeared to be a purple tinge to it. Conversations sprung up around the room, as though people seemed surprised about something, as Ron appeared through the other end a few seconds later.

Ron shivered slightly as if remembering having to do something that he had not particularly enjoyed. Ron looked pleased, however, as he joined Hermione on the other side.

Ron, apparently, did not realize anything as his smile grew, and Harry could tell that Ron wanted to jump for joy, and would have had it not been for the room full of Order members. He smiled at Ron, trying to show how happy he was for his friend, though he noticed that Hermione had a puzzled expression on her face, which Harry associated with frequent research trips to the library.

"Congratulations Mr. Ron Weasley, and welcome to the Order of the Phoenix."

Harry looked over at Ginny, wondering which of them would go through the arch next. She seemed to know what he was thinking and volunteered by stepping forward. Dumbledore repeated the words he had said to Ron, allowing her to go through the arch when she answered affirmatively.

By now, Harry knew what to expect when Ginny disappeared and did not instantaneously appear on the other end. He tried not to be nervous about going through the arch. After all, he did deserve to be in the Order of the Phoenix, right? If he was the one who was supposed to defeat Voldemort…

He tried to focus his thoughts away from the prophecy, and back onto the arch. He really hoped that Ginny made it through all right. She deserved it just as much as the others did.

Almost twenty minutes had passed since she had entered the arch when the arch began glowing white, with a soft hint of light indigo and soft pink, indicating that she was worthy, despite her young age, to join the Order. She appeared through the other end moments later, looking a bit disheveled but none-the-less pleased with herself

Dumbledore smiled at Ginny as she joined her best friend and her brother, all three grinning broadly. Ron gave him the thumbs up, but did not appear to believe that there was any chance that Harry would not make it through.

"Congratulations Miss Ginevra Weasley, and welcome to the Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling almost ferociously.

Dumbledore turned to Harry and, as impossible as the prospect seemed to Harry, it seemed as if his eyes sparkled even more brightly.

"Mr. Potter, in order to join the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix, you must first enter the _Cella Idoneus_. Are you prepared to face whatever will happen?" Dumbledore asked him.

"I have never been more ready in my entire life," Harry answered, and walked determinedly through the arch.

* * *

_Harry entered an open expanse of space, one that Harry was not sure would ever end. Bright, white light filled the area, almost blinding him. Half covering his eyes with his hands, he could vaguely make out three humanoid shapes in the distance. Remembering that he had just entered the _Cella Idoneus_, he entered a trance quickly and had several spells ready to fire, in case of danger. _

_The figures approached him seconds later, though they were not at all what Harry had expected. Three women approached him. He knew his cheeks were betraying him as he looked to the one on the left; a stunningly beautiful young woman with blond hair and a flowing blue dress. Next to her stood a woman with brown hair, probably about thirty. At the end stood an elderly woman who had aged quite nicely, wearing her white hair in a bun. All three, however, had unsettling eyes that seemed to know all the secrets of the cosmos. _

"_Harry Potter, are you ready to do everything in your power to stop Voldemort? Harry, do you promise to stay loyal to the Order of the Phoenix, no matter what happens in your life?" the woman in the middle asked him. _

"_Yes, of course," Harry barely spluttered out, wondering what on Earth was happening. Couldn't anyone simply answer yes to her questions? His question was answered when a bright purple light emanated from her eyes, seeming to search through his very soul. _

"_Harry Potter, Defender of the Light, Protector of the Defenseless and Liberator from the Dark, you are worthy." _

With a flash, Harry was jolted away from the bright light. He took a few steps forward before the white flashes around his eyes from the sudden change in light disappeared. He realized that he was back in the kitchen of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, with Order members seated in a circular fashion around the room, just as he had expected.

What Harry had not been expecting was the shocked expression that everyone around him bore. _Merlin, what did I do this time?

* * *

_

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry that this took such a long time. Everything I have been doing has been catching up on me, but I fought through it all. True, I still have lots of homework and stuff to do (sucks, eh?) but I am trying my best to find time to write this thing! (My parents say I do too much... :D) Exams are starting soon, but I hope to have a chapter out by early July (I have decided not to be as optimistic as before...) or even earlier if possible.**

**Don't worry guys; I will never give this story up. Please be patient, as I am trying to fit in as much time to write as I can. I truly hope that none of you have lost interest during the wait. **

**(It doesn't help that I lost the first half of this chapter! 4,000 words down the drain, and who knows where they are... cyberspace perhaps? Anyway, that little mishap delayed me by about a month! Ugh... Not to mention that I deleted the next thousand words I wrote because it was pure garbage…) **

**I have also gotten complaints that the pace of the story is, well, almost non-existent (so to speak)! I know that, and I hope that, now that everyone on the Council is officially introduced, time will begin to speed up! I have tried to write a general layout for myself as to what will happen in this story from beginning to end. I HAVE been trying my best to sort things out, and I hope that within the next three-four chapters the summer will be over! (emphasis on hope) **

**Harry and Ginny will come eventually. Please be patient all of you H/G shippers out there! Here are some cookies featuring Harry and Ginny on top (in icing)! The picture moves too… **

**As always, your reviews are what keep me going! I love you guys! On to the review responses: **

**Nimbirosa: **(cough) Sorry about that! I seem to have a lot of trouble typing your name! Don't worry, I made sure to go back and change it for you! Sorry about the sexy part. I swear I removed it, but something happened. (shrugs) Thanks about the 7.5. I hope my ratings improve over time. Thanks for reviewing!

**Lady of the Dragon:** You see, Harry had already put the pieces together subconsciously, so he did not take as big of a hit when he found out. Not to mention that he hasn't had time to think about it yet! Initial shock and all! Never fear though, the topic will come back! How do I do it all? I really don't know. But the fact that it has been three months must show you how! I apologize once again for the delay, but those last two months were killer… Thanks for the review!

**Aishwarya: **By the way, just a small point by Ron hoped, but didn't really believe… lol! Thanks for the review, and I'm glad that you are enjoying it so much!

**Nogoalielikeme:** Well, I'm not exactly sure which of the many jealousies you are talking about, but Ron is getting better!

**Lazteug: **Not only will he be facing multiple opponents, but he will have to conserve his energy… I won't say anymore on the matter or I would ruin things, but suffice it to say that it will all work out. And yes, it is Occlumency! Thanks for the review! I know that there was not as much interaction as you had probably hoped for, but the next few chapters will be full of it.

**Solomanskis:** Well, I don't think that saved him from Voldemort, but rather that simply infused ancient blood magic for his protection in first year (at least, that was how I understood it). If not, then wouldn't other kids have been saved by their loving parents as well? It simply doesn't add up…

**Dr.Gero: **Long review! Thanks! Thanks for showing me that you care about the quotes! I answered the rest in our e-mails so… Thanks for the review!

**Schnuff:** If you read it carefully, Harry does not spend the entire night in the Dream World (as you pointed out in your review, that would simply be crazy). I wrote it so that he only goes into the World for one-two hours of sleeping time!

**MonkeyLover:** Hey! I love monkeys too! Thanks for reviewing every single chapter, I appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed my story! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**mike95763:** Thanks for the review! Your encouragement means a lot to me. Thank you for the tip. Though I doubt that I will go back and change it right now, I will remember your comment for further use. Thanks! (I wonder how many Mikes there are in fanfiction?)

**TwistedFlames:** Yeah? Well now I am in the Advanced Karate, which means over seven hours a week, so there! (cough)

**Iz: **I believe that you should get some credit for all of those rather lengthy reviews, so I took some of my valuable time to write a review response. Though I am too lazy/tired to actually manually go through all of your reviews and respond right now, I can just say that I appreciate that you took the time to read my story despite the fact that you do not like the Harry/Ginny pairing. Your comments bring a lot of insight, and I hope that my writing can improve over time! Glad that you are still keeping up with reading this. At least someone is badgering me to continue writing (mind you, that makes you a hypocrite… :D). Thanks for the reviews! They really meant a lot. And I truly apologize for not doing this the first time around… I think it is because I just went directly to chapter 14 reviews, but you aren't there yet!

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	16. Winged Nightmares

Celestial Guidance

by Flying Pixie

**Disclaimer:** All the Harry Potter characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I am not making any money doing this (unfortunately) and am doing it for the sole purpose of having fun and improving my writing. The plot and the characters you do not recognize belong to me! The quote is by Helen Keller, a remarkable woman.

A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you to my beta TwistedFlames for her patience and for helping me get this chapter out on time! To my most loyal fans, I present the sixteenth chapter. Enjoy! I'm really sorry that it took so long to get out, but I went on vacation earlier than I had planned. In a few days I will be leaving for France and Germany, which unfortunately means that the next chapter won't be out until after school starts.

Warning: one part of this chapter might be a bit violent for children. While it is nothing compared to other things I've seen on this site, those who dislike violence can consider themselves forewarned.

_Mind speech is done in Italics! So are general thoughts, but that is mind speech, in a sense!__

* * *

_

**Winged Nightmares**

_Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved._

Helen Keller

* * *

**In the previous chapter…**

"_Harry Potter, Defender of the Light, Protector of the Defenceless and Liberator from the Dark, you are worthy." _

With a flash, Harry was jolted away from the bright light. He took a few steps forward before the white flashes around his eyes from the sudden change in light disappeared. He realized that he was back in the kitchen of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, with Order members seated in a circular fashion around the room, just as he had expected.

What Harry had not been expecting was the shocked expression that everyone around him bore. _Merlin, what did I do this time?

* * *

_

Dumbledore looked on with nothing less than pure amazement as Harry stepped out of the arch seconds after he had gone through. A blinding white light emanated from the arch, forcing Dumbledore, along with many others in the room, to shield his eyes._ How is this possible?_

Dumbledore looked on with nothing less than pure amazement as Harry stepped out of the arch seconds after he had gone through. A blinding white light emanated from the arch, forcing Dumbledore, along with many others in the room, to shield his eyes. ?

Dumbledore had created the arch to determine the worthiness of joining members. Though everyone's experiences inside the _Cella Idoneus_ varied, the principle behind the magical chamber remained the same throughout. The shorter the amount of time spent in the chamber, the more willing one was to help the Order's cause.

The record for the longest time spent inside the chamber was held by Mundungus, who Dumbledore knew had only joined because of the safety he was provided by being a member. Never before, however, had anyone emerged seconds after having entered. It was simply unheard of…

Another facet that made the _Cella Idoneus_ efficient was its second test, one testing the contribution that the person could provide. The brighter the light of the arch was once they had exited, the higher the commitment. A few colors were often blended into the light if the person had specific qualities that made them more or less efficient, these colors usually based on any special abilities in certain areas of magic that the person possessed.

Harry's light was simply astounding: a solid white light was rare, and Dumbledore hypothesized that, in Harry's case, it foreshadowed that he would dominate many areas of magic. It was obvious to the aging Head of the Order that Harry would either defeat Voldemort or die having greatly weakened him…

The two facts coupled together gave Dumbledore much to think about, and he knew that he would not get much rest that night. His mind rapidly turned over the facts in his mind, trying to discern at which point the small, sheltered, eleven year-old boy he had welcomed into Hogwarts six years earlier had become the young man he obviously was today.

Turning his troubled thoughts back to the meeting at hand, he realized that everyone was staring up at him, waiting for him to continue with the ceremony.

"I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, as head of the Order of the Phoenix, hereby proclaim that Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginevra Weasley and Harry Potter have passed through the _Cella Idoneus_ and have been proven worthy to join our ranks. Everyone in this room has born witness to this event.

"Despite the unusual circumstances in which these four chi – young adults find themselves, they have surpassed all expectations and have proven that they are willing to give of themselves to become a Phoenix."

As Dumbledore spoke, not a whisper could be heard throughout the room. Everyone was listening to his words with avid attention, hoping for a few words of insight into what had just come to pass. Dumbledore sighed internally. _If only I knew…

* * *

_

Harry walked over to his friends, all three of whom wore the confused faces he was certain he was sporting. Harry was unable to discern the reason behind the stares and the gasps of amazement directed towards him. His headmaster looked deep in thought, as did a few others in the room.

The voices that remained in his head, not all of them speaking English, became frantic. Harry focused on making them disappear, and succeeded; only hearing mentions of how fast he had been through before they were gone entirely. As Dumbledore began to speak, Harry pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind for further contemplation.

Dumbledore beckoned he and the others forward, until they were lined up before him. With a wave of his hand, the arch leading into the _Cella Idoneus_ disappeared. Dumbledore began chanting in Latin. Hermione whispered in Harry's ear that the Creed of the Phoenix would bind them to the pacts they were to make. As the chanting became louder, his voice was quickly joined by six others who knew the Creed.

The seven voices rose and fell as one. Harry could see and _feel_ the magic pulsating around the chanters and around he and his friends. He relaxed, allowing the strong, yet strangely calming, magic to flow safely through him. Beside him, he could feel his friends doing the same.

Suddenly, the chanting died out. Dumbledore took a step towards the initiates of the Order. Though the rest was merely tradition now, it was still looked upon with importance by many of the older members.

"Do you swear to abide by the rules of the Order of the Phoenix, as lain down in the Charter of the Light?"

"We do," the four of them intoned.

Harry had been given the Charter of the Light the night before, and the four of them had read it thoroughly that morning after their discussion. The Charter outlined what was to be expected, primarily stressing the importance of protecting the innocent from danger and fighting against injustices.

Dumbledore continued, "Do you swear to strive to commit yourselves to your fullest to the cause of the Order, never putting selfish needs before the needs of others?"

"We do," the four repeated.

The questions went on for several minutes more, outlining the duties and responsibilities of a member of the Order of the Phoenix.

When Dumbledore finished the questions, he placed his hands before him, palms facing upwards. A warm red light glowed above them. Similar lights began to glow around the necks of the four new members, each wearing smiles of relief and happiness.

Dumbledore explained that each member of the Order had a symbol of a phoenix rising out of fire on the base of their necks to demonstrate their loyalty. It could disappear and re-appear at the conscious will of the bearer, and could not be detected but by the most powerful of spells.

Members could be summoned through their marks; a light tingling that would start on the mark and eventually be felt through the entire body. However, it was only used during the direst of situations. If need be, only certain members could be called.

The four inductees shared looks, fully realizing what they had signed up for. None of them, however, were willing to back down. They were ready to take on their new responsibilities.

After a few general comments to the members about vague plans for the future, everyone was dismissed. Harry's head still felt as though it was detached from the rest of his body, giving him a rather dizzying sensation. He walked with his friends to his room, each lost in their own thoughts.

Once there, they looked at each other's symbols, catching their first glimpses at what their marks must resemble. Just as Dumbledore had described, the insignia depicted a phoenix rising out of a fire. The fire itself moved and swayed as though it was real. Each had a different color flame. Hermione was the one to discover the link between the color the _Cella Idoneus_ had shone and the color of their flame.

Supper that evening was a special affair, for many of the high-ranking guests had remained. Mrs. Weasley, despite the short notice, had prepared an exceptional buffet. People milled around the room, conversations varying in each cluster. Discussions were held as to the current state of affairs in the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort's growing power, and the mysterious disappearance of the Blood Raven Crystal.

Harry listened with rapt attention to the different conversations around the room, trying to put all of the incoming information to heart. He also learned much about those in the Inner Circle, and by the end of the meal Harry felt as though he knew enough information to have a general character sketch of each person.

It surprised Harry how much he had changed in the past five days. Everything he did seemed to reflect on the Prophecy. He was analyzing people in situations where he normally would have been off talking to his friends. Harry understood that, if he was to make any impactin the Order, he had to understand its most prominent members.

Ever since he had begun training with his Celestial Council, he had begun to believe that he had a chance, albeit a small one, to defeat Voldemort. Both he and the Dark Lord were in similar boats, and it seemed to Harry that it could come down to whomever learned to master their growing powers first.

When he caught Hermione's eye, she gave him a questioning glance at his odd behaviour. He simply shrugged it off, and she let it go for the moment.

The rest of the evening passed by in relative peace, and Harry went to bed peacefully, happy that he was one step closer to defeating Voldemort. Joining the Order represented a big leap forward in being able to influence decisions made, and find out more information about Voldemort. He went to sleep at ease, a large smile plastered on his face.

Harry awoke to the wonderful smell of bacon and eggs. He practically jumped out of bed, his stomach rumbling in anticipation. He walked into the kitchen and found everyone already seated, Ron apparently already on his second plate of helpings. He served himself, and sat amongst Hermione and the Weasleys.

Once breakfast was over, Dumbledore signalled for Harry to follow him. Shrugging, Harry told Ron and Hermione that he would meet up with them later. He followed the wizening man up two flights of Grimmauld Place before they stopped before a tall, wooden door.

Dumbledore opened the door, Harry close behind. The room was a small office, presumably Dumbledore's. Sunlight streamed through the lone window at the back wall of the room. Dumbledore took a seat behind the mahogany desk, leaving Harry no choice but to stand or to sit in front of his Headmaster.

He chose the latter option, sinking into the plush leather seat and wondering what this impromptu meeting was about. Perhaps he would have the chance to discuss his new powers…

After offering him a Lemon Drop, as per usual, Dumbledore rested his chin on steepled his fingers and appeared lost in thought for a few moments. His eyes were grave, not a sparkle to be found, as he began to speak.

"I apologize my dear boy, for I realize that I caused you much hurt last year. I separated myself from you when I should have been there to give you support and guidance, for fear of what Voldemort could do through you. I apologize for waiting so long to give you the message of the prophecy, and for keeping many secrets from you over the years. I am but a human, and have made a good many mistakes over the years.

"You have a heavy burden to bear, and I hope that you can rely on your friends and those closest to you to help shoulder the weight. It is during the hard times that we must count on our loved ones the most, for the true ones will be there through thick and thin."

As he spoke those last words, his eyes began to twinkle merrily once more, as though he knew something that others did not. Harry was stunned at his Headmaster's words, not having expected such an apology from the older man. He smiled, to show him that he understood.

"Apology accepted, Professor Dumbledore. You are forgiven, so long as you promise to keep me informed of everything relevant about Voldemort. I do not want to be kept in the dark again, nor do I want my decisions to be made for me," Harry stated. He could forgive his Headmaster for everything that had been done, but that did not mean that he would forget what had happened.

"Very rightly stated, my dear boy. Now, on that very note, your joining the Order has certainly been an unexpected change of events, and has brought up the question of where you will be staying for the remainder of your summer. I am open to your opinions," Dumbledore looked down on a surprised Harry, who, from his stunned expression, had obviously not expected such a turn-around in such a short period of time.

Harry paused, wondering what to answer. All of his training equipment remained at the Dursley's, and without it he was unable to follow through with much of the training that was required of him. With Dumbledore's help, Harry was sure that he would be able to move the equipment to Grimmauld Place, where he could be with his friends and Sirius.

Harry knew that it would involve explaining to Dumbledore the _unique_ events that had led up to his receiving of the extra rooms at the Dursley's. He was sure, however, that Dumbledore would both be supportive and understanding. Making his decision, he turned his thoughts back to the present and to a patiently waiting Dumbledore.

Harry explained all that had occurred since his arrival at his relatives, allowing Dumbledore to intervene and ask pertinent questions. Dumbledore quickly agreed that his training must continue. He would help facilitate the moving of allHarry's extra equipment to a secure location in Grimmauld Place, that nonebut Dumbledore and Sirius knew of.

With a growing feeling of curiosity, Harry thought he saw a look of understanding cross Dumbledore's face. Had he already guessed what Harry had to tell him?

With the question of where he was to stay during the summer answered, Harry remained several minutes for idle talk before departing to find his friends, leaving behind a contemplative Dumbledore.

The bearded man sat solemnly, eyebrows creased together in thought. Had anyone been present, they would instantly have noticed that he looked gravely older, as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Suddenly, the look passed, and a smile replaced it. _This is an unexpected change of events…Merlin, my old friend, what have you been up to? Yes, this _**is**_ an unexpected change.

* * *

_

A harsh wind passed over the rugged landscape; masked figures stood row by row, trying to hide their shivers. Voldemort stood at the head of the Death Eater formation, quietly studying them. Every few seconds a Death Eater or two would arrive, Apparating into position in response to the burning on their forearms. All stood at the ready, awaiting their Master's orders.

When no more arrived for more than a minute, Voldemort began to speak. His voice grated, like fingernails on a dragon's scales. His snake-like face had grown more unsightly since they had last seen him; more gnat and gnarled. His sharp red eyes scanned the crowd, making everyone nervous. Voldemort could sense his servants' fear, he could taste it, and he revelled in the feeling. Fear was his most powerful ally. It would help build his army, and it would help destroy his enemies'.

"My fellow Death Eaters. I have revived the ultimate creature from the fiery depths of Hell. Stronger, louder, and more ferocious than any before it, no words can possibly do it justice. Pennatus is my newest winged nightmare from Hell."

As if on cue, a large winged beast rose from the ground. The monster spanned a total of fifteen feet from head to tip of tail. Its entire body, save for the wings, was made of long, black scales, darker than the night itself, making it almost impossible to spot. The wings were of sharp feathers, just as dark. Four long legs extended from the scaly body, ending with large, sharp claws.

Many of the gathered Death Eaters shied away in shock. The beast, beating its wings, soared into the air. It turned around and swooped down towards them, sharp red eyes glowing. The pennatus dove back up before hitting the ground, and flew beside Voldemort, who alone had not moved.

"This, my friends, is one of our newest weapons. It has the power to lock any enemy with its eyes, keeping them immobilized in their fear."

The Death Eaters clapped and cheered at the sound of the demons potential, though most were still frightened of the towering beast. If it turned on one of them…

Voldemort laughed, a cruel, heartless laugh that could make even the bravest of wizards shudder with fear. He lavished in the potential of his new beast. _I will bring Hogwarts down if it is the last thing I do… This time, it is Dumbledore and Potter who will pay.

* * *

_

Harry lay awake on his bed, staring at the ceiling. As per usual, he was staying up late the day before his birthday, the Council having given him the night off as one of his 'birthday presents'. He was surprised by how much easier it had been to train, now that he was with his friends again.

Over the weeks, Harry had developed a routine that worked perfectly for him: he would wake up in the morning, an hour before everyone else was up, and practice all that he had learnt the night before. The rest of the day was spent relaxing with his friends. At night, two hours before hitting the sack, he would train again. It left him free to have fun with his friends over the summer, and at the same time allowed him to train as much as was needed.

Harry was grateful that he had told Dumbledore about Merlin and his Council. The very next day, all of his training gear had been moved to an unknown floor of the house. It was a magical level located between the second and third floors of the house that was only accessible if one knew the correct passwords and went through the correct door. If you simply went through the door without saying anything, then you would find yourself in the second-floor bathroom.

When his watch showed him that it was officially twelve in the morning, July 31st, he wished himself a happy birthday and sprung out of bed. Not wanting to waste the precious hours of the morning, and too energized to fall asleep (after all, he had not spent the night training) he decided that a bit of early-morning training would be just the thing.

Harry tiptoed past Ron's snoring form and left the room. He alternated each night between sleeping with Sirius and Remus and sleeping with Ron. Harry spent the next four 'pleasantly exhausting' hours slaving away on his floor.

After doing a few initial warm-ups, he began working the Martial Arts that Nedra had begun teaching him. He worked through the Katas, or forms, that she had taught him. These forms were compilations of blocks and attacks used against imaginary opponents.

Nedra had explained, after hitting Harry on the head with a wooden board when he exclaimed that they were pointless and that he needed to learn how to actually fight, that the Katas would be an integral part of his training and would serve to develop balance, fitness, focus, spirit, strength and a deeper understanding of the application of techniques in real-life situations.

Harry always began any serious training session with his forms, as he found that they relaxed him, and served as his meditation. As time passed, he worked through them with more and more intensity, causing him to break out into a sweat. When he had finished, he began to work through all the kicks, punches and blocks in his repertoire, doing every move several times before going on to the next. It was Nedra's belief that when a move was done one thousand times it was fully understood, and when done ten thousand times after that it would be mastered.

After taking a short ten-minute break, Harry moved on to his magical training, reviewing everything that he had learned the week before. Once done, he worked at discovering his animagus form, the only facet of his training that had not gone as planned. Despite all of his best efforts, he still did not know what animal he was supposed to become.

Ryder, in his calm way, simply smiled and told Harry patiently that it would happen when least expected, and that the best he could do was to continue his meditation. "You want it too badly," Ryder had said a few days earlier. "The exercise is meant to empty your mind of all feeling and let your magic flow through you."

Harry did not understand the wisdom behind emptying his mind while still searching for something, but refused to give up.

Once he had completed his exercises, Harry took a soothing hot shower and returned to his room, where Ron still had not awoken. He took out The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi, and began to read. Kael, who had begun to teach him Battle Tactics, had given him many books to read on the subject, of which this was one. Written in 1643 by an undefeated samurai, Kael had explained that the text would be insightful in the various areas of conflict.

When he heard Ron stirring beside him, as though he was about to wake, Harry quickly put the book away. He jumped out of bed, took his pillow and threw it at Ron to finish waking him. Harry ran out of the room, successfully avoiding the pillow thrown at him in retaliation. He ran down the stairs and entered the kitchen.

Harry greeted Mrs. Weasley warmly, who was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. The smell alone was enough to make his stomach grumble. He began to pull plates out of one of the cabinets, when Mrs. Weasley stopped him.

"Happy birthday Harry. Don't worry about setting the table dear," she said, giving him a loving kisson the forehead before returning to her work. Harry was blushing so hard that he was thankful that she was looking away. Nonetheless, he was smiling, happy to have a mother-like figure in his life.

Harry took a seat at the table, happy to take the time to relax. Seconds later, Ron's loud steps could be heard. He entered the kitchen with a quick greeting to his mother and a glareat Harry, who simply grinned in return.

"Happy birthday mate, but did you really have to throw that pillow at me?" Ron asked, yawning. Harry gave him a look as if to say 'What pillow?'

Ron took a seat beside Harry, looking as though he wanted nothing more than to eat and go back to sleep. A glare from his mother, however, soon had him setting the table. Harry grinned back as Ron glared.

The rest of the household walked in a few minutes later, wishing Harry a happy birthday. Feeling energized and ravenous after all of his exercise, Harry ate three helpings of a beaming Mrs. Weasley's eggs.

Harry spent the rest of his morning playing Exploding Snap with Ron and Hermione, and losing brilliantly to Ron at chess. He felt carefree, happy that he was able to relax with his friends despite all of the pressures of the Prophecy.

Suddenly, Ginny burst into the room, grinning from ear to ear.

"What is it?" Ron asked his sister impatiently as he moved his horse to eat Harry's queen. "Checkmate Harry," he added. Everyone turned their attention to Ginny.

"You wouldn't believe, but Mum managed to convince Professor Dumbledore to let us take Harry to the Faerie Works tonight, since it's his birthday!"

Hermione squealed delightedly at the news, and even Ron cracked a smile. Harry did not know exactly what Faerie Works were, but felt unfamiliar warmth spread through him at the thought of Mrs. Weasley puttting in an extra effort for his birthday.

Noticing Harry's confusion, Hermione explained, "The closest Muggle equivalent to Faerie Works would have to be fireworks. Several faerie clans band together a few times a year to host a festival, at the very end of which they put on an amazing display. I've never seen them, of course, but the faerie's movements in the sky are legendary."

Ginny nodded. "I only had the chance to see them once, when I was little, but from what I can remember they were amazing!"

Harry grinned. The Dursleys had always taken Dudley to the fireworks and left Harry behind, so he had only ever seen fireworks on television. He was excited at the prospect of going to the wizarding equivalent. He knew that there would probably be a few hidden Aurors watching over their every move, but frankly could not care. This was going to be his best birthday yet!

Ginny was ecstatic. She could practically feel the magic in the air as she stepped onto the festival grounds with her family. Sirius had been forced to stay at home, due to the fact that it would simply not do to have a dead, escaped convict walking around, and Remus would be out because of the full moon that night. Ginny looked over at Harry, who was grinning like a child on his first broomstick ride. She felt happy for him; happy that he was able to enjoy himself despite all that he had been through.

* * *

Ginny breathed in the fresh night air. She felt giddy just being away from Grimmauld Place for the first time in weeks. She walked next to Hermione, with Harry and Ron close by. The twins, who had decided to join them, had already walked off to talk to the head faeries, presumably to make a business deal. Ginny's parents trailed a bit behind, holding hands and sharing short kisses when they thought no one was looking. 

Ginny did not know where to look. Everywhere she turned there were more brightly lit attractions to be seen. They passed by various rides, candy booths and games, no one knowing where to start. Her parents had given them each a few Sickles and Knuts before leaving.

They finally decided to start on the attraction known as 'A Muggle's Madness'. Ginny was the last to step into the magical simulator (with her parents waiting outside). She took a seat beside Hermione, taking the time to look around. Thirty seats filled the small, metallic room. Ginny knew from past experience that, when the ride started, they would all be put under a hypnotic spell of some sort. Faeries were not known to possess great amounts of power. They did, however, have strong magic in the area of illusionary spells. She grinned at Hermione, who smiled back.

A tiny, hovering faerie at the front of the room announced that the ride was about to begin in a high, squeaky voice. She reminded everyone not to panic when they were put under the spell. Ginny closed her eyes and relaxed, waiting for the spell to take over her senses. Abruptly, she felt herself detach from the room. She felt void and numb, as though she was floating in space.

Slowly, Ginny began to feel her senses returning to her one by one. However, when her sight came back to her, she was no longer in the metallic attraction. She found herself in front of a small house with neatly trimmed hedges in front, and small flowerpots hanging from the roof above a small porch.

She quickly discovered that the house belonged to a Muggle man by the name of Charles. All Ginny had to do was stand (for her seat had vanished) and watch the scene unfold before her eyes. It was obvious that magic was afoot, but the man simply refused to admit it. Ginny roared with laughter at the man's denial of the magic blatantly there. By the end, he had decided to call the local psychiatrist after his house had simply vanished into thin air. Though Ginny by no means supported wizards who made sport of Muggles, it was delightfully funny to see what lengths a Muggle would go to avoid all thoughts of magic.

She left the ride smiling. Hermione looked amused, and Ron was howling with laughter. Harry was smiling more than Ginny had ever seen him do. Ginny looked sideways at him. Harry noticed her look and smiled genuinely back at her. Ginny felt her cheeks betray her by blushing, which only served to make him chuckle softly. She smirked back at him, her eyes telling him that he would pay for that. He only smiled, as if to say 'Bring it on!'.

* * *

Harry couldn't believe how much fun he was having. The four of them were later joined by Fred and George, who refused to speak of their dealings with the faeries. They went on a few other magical simulators and several breath-taking rides. His favourite had been one where he had sat on a broom-like seat and was sent whipping through caves, soaring over oceans, and sent plummeting straight down the side of a steep mountain. Hermione seemed a bit worse for wear, her face taking on a slightly-green hue.However, shewas smiling none-the-less when it was over (perhaps because it was, finally, over). 

In all the excitement, Harry had lost control of his magic and a flood of other people's thoughts began pouring into his mind. Within seconds, however, he had gained control once more, without anyone being the wiser. He whispered a silent thanks to Nalani and Mandara, who had taken the time to show him how to block other thoughts from entering his mind.

After spending three hours walking around the festival, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley announced that the Faerie Works would begin shortly and it would be best for them to get good seats.

Just as they had finished settling down, the show began. Faeries wove intricate dances in the sky, dancing to the beat of an unknown rhythm. Groups of blue-lighted faeries made a big sphere in the sky, as yellow-lighted faeries flew in a line around it, giving Harry the image of Saturn surrounded by its rings.

Red-lighted faeries made arcs like the leaves of a Weeping-Willow in the sky, as green lights soared straight up. Harry was amazed by the fact that the faeries never executed the same move more than twice, making for a breath-taking show.

At the very end of the spectacle, much to the sounds of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's groans, the sky lit with a message of 'Happy Birthday Hrary', each of the letters formed by a group of faeries. Fred and George laughed and poked each other in the ribs when the words flashed in the sky. Harry smiled to himself, as much for the mistake in the spelling of his name as for the thought behind the message. The twins winked at him, and he smiled back. He had no inkling of how they had managed to pull that off.

All through the walk back to the portkey they had to take, the twins were being yelled at by Mrs. Weasley. It was obvious, however, that she was more proud of them for doing something that had made Harry smile than angry at having shown the wizards in the crowd that a 'Hrary' was present, which might have put him in danger.

Harry went to bed late that night with a smile plastered on his face. He felt like the luckiest person on the planet.

* * *

Voldemort Apparated to the edge of Gateshead, a town in the northern region of England inhabited by both Muggles and wizards. He stood on top of a tall hill, overlooking the town. Night was just beginning to fall, and most families were sitting down to eat. 

Death Eaters Apparated behind him in order of rank. Voldemort had just come back from raiding Azkaban. The Dementors had returned under his control in mere seconds when they saw what he had to offer. Having freed his loyal servants from prison, he had decided to show Dumbledore and the Potter boy exactly who they were dealing with…

"Malfoy, Lestrange," he called out when his followers had all gathered.

The two stepped forward, quivering with fear. Voldemort smiled, taking strength from their fear and weakness.

"You failed me at the Department of Mysteries. Do not fail me again," Voldemort laughed cruelly, watching them squirm. He pointed a long, bony finger towards Gateshead. "You two will lead the attack. I want half the town dead. Leave a few tortured ones sane enough to tell the Order what happened. Do not forget to leave some for the Dementors. They are anxious for a feeding."

Malfoy and Lestrange bowed low to their master before ordering the rest of the Death Eaters into small groups. The Dementors hovered at the edge of the group. Voldemort chanted under his breath, calling his tribe of Pennati to him. They rose slowly from the ground, twenty in all.

Flapping their wings, the Pennati flew overhead. Already, Voldemort could hear the screams of the villagers as they heard the large beasts roar. Motioning to Malfoy and Lestrange, he ordered the attack to begin.

The Pennati rocketed down, their wings turning to fire. They swooped over the village, alighting several of the houses and grabbing several villagers with their claws. Their sharp, red eyes ablaze, they stopped anyone from running away with one look, locking everyone in their fear.

Muggles screamed and ran for their lives as the Death Eaters Apparated from house to house. The killing, the torturing, and the looting: Voldemort revelled in it all. The Dementors fed on many souls, forcing their unlucky victims into their worst memories before turning them into soul-less bodies.

Voldemort could see several of the braver wizards attempting to put on a fight. Their shaking hands held their wands out as they tried to put out the fires on their blazing homes and attempted to stop the onslaught. It was no use: the wizards were greatly outnumbered and out-powered by his army.

Voldemort walked calmly down the hill and towards the town. He levitated a nearby arm, lying a few feet away from a bloody corpse. Using the blood, he left Potter a message on the side of a house that was sure to get his attention.

Walking around the town, Voldemort cast the Cruciatus Curse on small children as their parents watched helplessly, unable to make their children stop screaming. He then proceeded to kill each member of the family one by one, savouring in the kills and making the deaths as bloody as possible. The other family members could do nothing but watch the horrid scene and await their own demise.

The killings went on into the early hours of the morning. The Death Eaters Dispparated, leaving behind them the corpses of loved ones, as wailing family members tried to piece together what had happened. Most of the fires had already died down, leaving the blackened shells of homes after having destroyed their interiors.

* * *

"The town was ravaged, Albus. Children and adults alike were murdered. Not one bloody wizard had the sense to contact the Aurors," Moody barked, shaking his head. "No one can doubt that _he_ has come back now." 

Harry surveyed the small town. Not one section of the small, once quaint town had been spared. He noticed that Dumbledore was looking down at him, to see how he was taking it. Though Harry had refused to be left out of the search party after he had had a vision of what Voldemort was planning and had warned the Order, part of him simply wished to have remained asleep, dozing under the covers instead of looking at the destruction caused by his worst enemy.

The other part understood that he had to learn more about Voldemort: learn how he attacked, and try to find a pattern to his madness. Kael had already told him to start trying to find as much information about the present-day Voldemort as possible. He would later be shown more information concerning Voldemort's attacking patterns from sixteen years back.

Dumbledore, Moody, Harry and Remus walked through the remains of the once thriving town. Aurors ran back and forth, rescuing the few survivors (Muggle and wizard alike) and sending them to Healers for much-needed medical attention. The four passed by two Obliviating tents before walking into one of the make-shift tents that had been set up as a healing post, hoping to find more information about the attack from those who lived to tell the tale.

Dumbledore walked over to a tall wizardat the far side of the tent, who looked fine save for a cast around his arm and several cuts and scrapes along his face, some deeper than others. What Harry could not help but stare at, however, was the look of terror imprinted on the man's face. His face was tear-stained, and it was apparent that he had lost someone close to him.

Moody, Remus and Harry drew closer as Dumbledore drew the story out of the man. They heard of the terrible winged creatures that froze you with a single glare, of the Dementors floating free and draining people of their souls and of the swarming Death Eaters who tortured and killed without mercy.

With the utmost terror in his voice, the man spoke of 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. It took all of Dumbledore's patience and calm, soothing words to coax the man into speaking of the red-eyed monster.

Dumbledore thanked the man when he was finished, promising him that they would try their hardest to kill the demon who had done this to his family, to his town, and to the only life he had ever known.

Outwardly, Harry appeared cool and collected. Inside, however, he was seething with rage. Voldemort had torn apart these people's lives without a second thought, hoping only to gain power and instil fear in the people's hearts. He made a promise to himself that he would bring down the monster, even if it was the last thing he did.

They walked out of the tent, all beginning to feel the effects of the war that was looming over them. They went from house to house, helping the Aurors with their immense task.

Returning from one of the healing tents, Harry spied a small boy, not even five years-old, sitting alone in the middle of the street as men marched back and forth around him. The boy was crying, kicking his feet and displacing the ashes around him.

Harry walked purposefully up to the tiny child, lifting him up and cradling him. The boy stopped bawling and looked with large, shiny eyes into Harry's own. He quieted down in the comfort and safety of Harry's arms, which the boy seemed to trust implicitly.

Almost subconsciously, Harry sent a small amount of soothing magic towards the boy, hoping to make him fall asleep. It worked like a charm. Harry hugged the boy even tighter in his arms, feeling a connection to the boy. After all, Harry too had lost his parents at a young age.

Harry walked over to where the others had stopped, waiting for him. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes, which had completely disappeared before, now came back slightly at the sight.

"I hope to find his parents, if they're still alive," Harry told the group.

Like clockwork, screaming was heard behind the party. They turned to see a woman struggling against the grasp of an Auror. Finally, she broke free. Sobbing, she turned around in circles.

"Anthony," she cried forcefully. "ANTHONY. WHERE ARE YOU?"

Suddenly, the woman spied Harry with her child in his hands. She limped over to him, and Harry handed the child to her, sensing that she was the mother. She kissed Anthony several times before checking him over to make sure that he was still all right.

The woman, who later introduced herself as Martha, thanked Harry profusely for saving her baby. He tried dissuading the woman, explaining that all he had done was pick the child from the ground, but she refused to believe it.

Harry walked away, following Dumbledore and the others and leaving the still crying mother alone with her precious baby (though Harry suspected that the tears were those of love and gratitude rather than sadness). He was happy that that child still had his mother, but knew that entire families had been wiped out that day. In some cases, only orphaned children remained.

Abruptly, Remus tried to stop him from advancing; having obviously seen something around the next corner that he did not want Harry to see. Not knowing what could be worse than having seen abandoned children and dead people, Harry fought the werewolf's tight grip.

Thanks to his strength training, Harry finally broke free. Before turning the corner, he heard Dumbledore whisper something akin to, "Voldemort understands nothing about love. He is just trying to use –"

Harry turned to corner. On the wall of a house, Harry read a message addressed to him that made his blood turn cold. The blood still oozing from the words, it read:

**Potter, it is your fault that there are so many dead. You could have stopped these deaths by simply turning yourself over to me rather than fighting the inevitable. These deaths will haunt you to the grave.

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**

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! I know that it was out late but I really worked hard on it! I would love feedback from you guys: am I improving? Is there a difference in my writing? Am I getting worse? Is the story getting interesting or is it getting boring? Was the chapter a good length… And so on and so forth! You're opinions matter so much to me! This is for you guys! Even a one-liner review makes a difference! Next chapter out as soon as possible! **

**BTW: I'm going to World Youth Day in Germany! Is anyone here going as well?**

**Wasn't the HPB amazing! I have so many ideas about what will happen in the next one!**

**Now on to the Review Responses:**

**Lourdes:** Thank you for the touching words! I try my best!

**Dr. Gero: **Hey Nick! You haven't e-mailed in a while. Well, in my opinion a trance is not dependant on how long it takes to get in but what happens while you're in (really far away from your consciousness so that you can focus on important things). Who knows! I will try to find a better word. Yes, those were the Fates that Harry met. And no, you will not be seeing what the others saw… True about adding too much too fast! I'll know for next time if I ever do something like this again. The problem is I never had all my ideas sorted out before beginning, which means that when I do have ideas I try to put them soon so I don't forget! Hopefully that will change soon! About the Patton guy, I didn't mean to use an important person's name! I was simply going through a bunch of sites on the U.S. military and his name popped up. Thus, while I was thinking of a name my subconscious chose that one (I swear). So, when I had realized it, the name stuck. Thanks for your review!

**TwistedFlames: **Thanks for the review! And thanks for helping me with this chapter!

**MonkeyLover: **Thank you for reviewing all of the chapters as you read them! I loved your input for every one!

**DancingPandaa: **Thanks for the review! I agree with you on the training (I got that from many people). You will not be seeing that again!

**Rdk-Kamikaze:** Thank you so much! Your review really touched me!

For everyone else that reviewed: my sincerest thank you! I love you all! Cheesecake for everyone! And chocolate-chip cookies (nut-free) for people you don't like the cake! Enjoy!

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